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‘Israel has expressed anger at the British parliament’s vote in favor of recognizing the state of Palestine.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that the vote in favor of recognizing Palestine as a state risks undermining efforts for what it called “real peace with Palestinians.”
Meanwhile, Britain’s Ambassador to Israel, Matthew Gould, said public sentiment in the UK and around the world has shifted against Israel following its recent 50-day onslaught on the Gaza Strip.’
originally posted by: DISRAELI
a reply to: theultimatebelgianjoke
My only point here, I want to re-iterate, is that the UK has not recognised the Palestinian state.
A motion in the House of Commons does not achieve that effect, because they don't have the actual power to make the decision.
I will just say that throughout my adult life there has been war between Israel and its neighbours. We have seen constant invasion, the expropriation of territory by the supporters of war in Israel and, to be clear, repetitive retaliation and a determined cry from the war party, “Not now, not just yet, not until they have stopped it.” That “it” could be bus bombings, hijackings or rockets, but whatever it is at the time we have seen constant blocking and constant concentration on the latest outrage.
Our Government can decide to recognise Palestine. We make our own policy and we are subject to no outside veto. We can recognise Palestine, we can judge that the time is right, and we have a responsibility to seize the opportunity and to wield our influence as a permanent member of the Security Council, as a member of the Quartet, and as the imperial power historically responsible for the mandate.
People in Palestine who long for progress and peace, and many Israelis, will take encouragement from a positive vote here tonight. For we can vote for politics, for discussions between equals and for an end to war, or we can stall, find excuses and point to the latest outrage. That will help and encourage nobody, other than those who choose the gun, the rocket, the air strikes and the blockade.
Recognition of the state of Palestine would mean a more regulated relationship between the international community and Israel and Palestine. At the moment, we are not seen as being even-handed. Whatever people in this House might believe, the reality is that we are the ones who are supplying the components for the weaponry being used against the Palestinians. I asked a series of parliamentary questions this summer and did not get any answers out of Ministers, but on 2 August The Independent detailed the weaponry being used against civilians in Palestine that had been produced from components made by the UK—in particular, that being used by drones and tanks against civilian populations. I say to the House that we need to send a clear message tonight that we are even-handed, that we believe in justice and that we recognise the Palestinian state./exnews]
sourceedit on 15/10/2014 by voyger2 because: (no reason given)
I want to impress on the Minister, in view of everything that has been said—he has sat patiently and he is a decent man—the need to reflect on the debate. The will of Parliament has spoken tonight. It is the right thing to do to recognise Palestine and I hope that he will go away and implement the motion.
Amendment agreed to.
originally posted by: voyger2
The House divided:
Ayes 274 (96%), Noes 12(4%).
I think the above should be clear to Minister apply the decision. I hope, for the sake of Justice!
Those who say that this is just a gesture and that it does not matter what the UK Parliament says are simply mistaken (..) we can now send an incredibly powerful message from this House tonight.
This is the right thing to do morally, but it is also the right thing to do politically. It is important in relation to all our other foreign policy in the region that we should be seen to be even-handed and fair, and that we should no longer be accused of having double standards or of failing to stand up for the Palestinians. We have to give our support to those Palestinians who believe in a political route to self-determination based on non-violent action and international pressure. All too often, those people feel that they have not been given that support by the United States and the United Kingdom.
My constituents gave me a clear message this summer that they did not believe that the Israeli response was proportionate to whatever was happening in Palestine. Between 8 July and 27 August, there were 2,104 Palestinian deaths, including those of 495 children. In that period, there were 72 Israeli deaths, seven of which were civilians. The UK urged Israel to avoid civilian deaths, but made no condemnation of Israeli actions.
Forbidden Liberty: British MP’s Vote ‘Yes’ to Palestine, Israel Now Fears Public Opinion
‘There was never any ‘roadmap to peace’ as ringleaders in Washington would have you believe. That’s why nothing has happened in 30 years since “peace negotiations” started. Israel made sure it went no where by insisting that Palestinian statehood, or any other form of liberation from occupation or apartheid would come about only as from negotiations with the Israel. Meanwhile, Israel stayed busy building its Berlin walls and increasing its manifest destiny condo communities to gerrymander its own conveniently undeclared borders.
The formula is simple: Israel gets bigger, while Palestine gets smaller. While they’re add it, they might as well demolish some 30,000 Palestinian homes and kill a few thousand women and children. Not too difficult to see when you take off those cheap AIPAC-issued 3-D glasses.’
“Occupation, annexation, illegality, negligence, complicity: this is a wicked cocktail which brings shame to the government of Israel,” former Tory minister Sir Alan Duncan said on Tuesday. “It would appear that on the West Bank of the Jordan the rule of international law has been shelved.”
“Settlement endorsement, meaning the denial that they are illegal and the support for their consequences, is a form of extremism which we should not tolerate(..)
Israeli settlements are the worst, most destructive, aspect of the military occupation, an occupation which has become the longest in modern international relations (..)
He emphasized that every British government since 1967 has declared that the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza were never lawfully part of the State of Israel. However, there are now over half a million settlers living in around 120 settlements and 100 unauthorized outposts in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
“This illegal construction and habitation is theft, it is annexation, it is a land grab,(..)”
“Rightful Palestinian citizens are reduced to having nothing while illegal Israeli colonizers get everything: Water, electricity, access, protection; illegal settlers get the lot, the Palestinians next to nothing.”
He also argued that the Israeli government actively encourages illegal settlements, by authorizing, implementing and protecting the “illegal expansion of the borders of Israel.”
“In addition to being illegal, settlement activity is very often violent, nasty, and brutal. Not all, but many settlers are heavily armed and aggressive.”