A cross-party group of MPs, including prominent figures such as Jeremy Corbyn and Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer, have launched a motion in Parliament calling for the immediate recognition of the state of Palestine. The motion, supported by 15 signatories, comes in the wake of increasing international pressure and growing consensus within the United Nations regarding Palestinian statehood.
The motion references a key resolution passed by the UN General Assembly on 9 May 2024, which recommended that the UN Security Council reconsider the recognition of Palestine as a state following the United States’ veto of the proposal on 18 April 2024. The motion also highlights the growing international support for Palestinian recognition, noting that as of May 2024, countries such as Ireland, Spain, and Norway have joined a total of 145 UN member states in officially recognising Palestine.
The MPs’ statement condemns Israel’s Knesset for rejecting the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in a vote held on 18 July 2024 and calls on the UK Government to act swiftly in recognising Palestine. It also urges alignment with the International Court of Justice’s 2024 advisory opinion, which asserts that the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip should be regarded as a single territorial unit, and that its integrity must be respected.
The motion signals renewed efforts among British politicians to push for a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with growing calls for the UK to take a firm stance on recognising Palestinian sovereignty amid ongoing geopolitical tensions in the region.
This development follows similar parliamentary motions in recent years, though none have led to a change in the official UK Government policy, which maintains that recognition of Palestine should come as part of a negotiated peace settlement between the parties involved.
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