LEADING figures in the British and Israeli Labour parties are working together to defeat the resolution to recognise Palestine, that is to be debated and voted on today, according to the Israeli Haaretz newspaper.
Israeli Labour Party Secretary-General MK Hilik Bar has issued a letter on the subject to leading British MPs after speaking with several members of the Labour Friends of Israel parliamentary group.
‘We thought how to deal with the debate in the British Parliament to be held in a few days, and with the vote,’ Bar told Haaretz, adding that the group had decided to write a letter that will be disseminated between Labour MPs.
In the letter in question, Bar notes that the ‘Israeli left’ supports a two-state solution that addresses both the needs of the Israelis and the Palestinians.
‘I understand why many of you will want to vote for anything which claims to be a contribution to peace. But immediate and unilateral recognition of Palestinian statehood does nothing to advance this vital cause. In fact, precisely the opposite,’ the letter states.
‘Unfortunately, unilateral moves simply play into the hands of those on Israel’s hard right, which wants to suggest that we have no partner for peace, and that the Palestinians do not want to sit down and negotiate with us.’
Today’s vote will be on a motion that is being put forward by Labour MP Grahame Morris.
‘If the vote is a success, it would put a tremendous amount of pressure on the current government and the next government to recognise Palestine as a state,’ Morris said in an email.
‘The UK recognising Palestine could give decisive momentum to more EU states following suit,’ he said.
‘Recognition now would be a clear and legitimate message that Britain and others recognise Palestinian rights and that the illegal settlement enterprise has no validity.’
The Palestinian ambassador Manuel Hassassian has urged all MPs to reject all amendents to the recognition resolution and vote to recognise the State of Palestine.
He said: ‘There must be a Palestinian state with no strings attached either to negotiations or other parameters.
‘The recognition of the Palestinian state is an inalienable right of the Palestinian people and is not up for negotiation.’
