British lawmakers voted resoundingly Monday in
favor of a Palestinian state, in a debate unlikely
to change government policy but laden with
political symbolism.
The ayes carried the vote with 274 votes, against
only 12 nays.
The initial motion that was debated declared:
“This House urges the government to recognize
the State of Palestine alongside the State of
Israel.” It was subsequently amended to add the
phrase “as a contribution to securing a
negotiated two-state solution.”
The House of Commons debate was watched
around the world after Sweden drew anger from
Israel this month for saying it would recognize
Palestine.
The motion was initiated by backbencher
Grahame Morris from the main opposition
Labour party, who said Britain had a “moral
responsibility” to act because of its history as
colonial power in the region.
The vote was especially symbolic given that
Britain was the mandatory power in Palestine
from 1920-1948, when the State of Israel was
founded, and that Britain’s Balfour Declaration of
1917 was a significant milestone en route to the
revival of Jewish statehood.
“It’s absolutely clear that Israel-Palestine
relations are stuck at an impasse, as is our
foreign policy,” Morris said, opening the debate.
“Both of these impasses must be broken. We
hear a great deal of talk about the two-state
solution but today, through validating both
states, members will have the opportunity to
translate all of that principled talk into action.”
The vote is non-binding as it was initiated by a
backbencher.
Members of the government, which backs a two-
state solution, abstained from the vote.
Prime Minister David Cameron’s official
spokesman said: “We think that… you should do
everything you can that’s supportive of a
successful and sustainable outcome based on a
two-state solution.”
The leaders of Morris’s party, Labour, said that
MPs who were in the Commons when the vote
took place had to back it.
However, a number of high-profile figures were
reportedly uncomfortable with the motion and
did not show up.
Neither Cameron nor Labour leader Ed Miliband
was in the Commons chamber for the start of
the debate.
An online petition paving the way for the debate
attracted more than 111,000 signatures, Morris
said.
Before the debate, a handful of protesters
gathered in pouring rain outside the Houses of
Parliament, where they had erected a giant
banner saying: “Yes Vote for a Palestinian State.”
“If there is a state, the aggression would stop
and the healing could begin,” said one of them,
Eddie Clarke.
“We feel this parliament has a duty to vote for
it.”
The Palestinian Authority estimates that 134
countries have recognized Palestine as a state,
although the number is disputed since several
recognitions by what are now European Union
member states date to the Soviet era.

wasn't 'Palestine' a state before the british handed the territory over to the jewish zionists?

Sweden already recognised them

Sunofgod:
wasn't 'Palestine' a state before the british handed the territory over to the jewish zionists?

it was

About time. I hope American congress will follow soon. Sweden was the first European country to recognize Palestine as a sovereign entity. Isreal is going to be against it but they have to realize it's for the peaceful coexistence of all the parties involved.

Does anyone know why the selective recognition of ştates are these not the same countries that did everything they could to undermine biafrans in their quest for Biafra, how come they are now backing the balkanization of another country Israel

US will be the last country to do so