The Israeli Embassy in London condemned the British Parliament’s symbolic vote for recognizing Palestinian statehood as undermining peace efforts.
The embassy staff posted the statement on Oct. 13 on its Facebook page after a majority of 274 lawmakers passed a nonbinding motion that called on the government to “recognize the state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel as a contribution to securing a negotiated two-state solution.”
Twelve lawmakers opposed the motion. Prime Minister David Cameron’s Cabinet members abstained.
In its reaction, the embassy wrote: “The route to Palestinian statehood runs through the negotiation room.” It added, “Premature international recognition sends a troubling message to the Palestinian leadership that they can evade the tough choices that both sides have to make, and actually undermines the chances to reach a real peace.”
Hanan Ashrawi, a senior official of the Palestine Liberation Organization and former Palestinian Authority Cabinet minister, praised the British Parliament for the vote, which she described in a statement as sending “the right message to the British government and the rest of Europe” and creating “the right environment for the international community to grant the Palestinian people legal parity and rights.” — jta