United Kingdom, One Of The Friendliest Countries To Israel, Votes In Favor Of A Palestine Statehood
Over the course of the year, the Palestinian Authority has been working closely with the United Nations for their support and approval on certain matters. The Inquisitr reported on such details, most of it having to do with Gaza’s war with Israel. This includes one of the U.N. commissioners calling for Gaza to have its own “Iron Dome,” and a U.N. representatives blaming Israel as the reason why Palestinian men beat their wives.
Since then, Palestine has moved on from the war. Instead, they are looking to the United Nations to make them a statehood. Through the process, Israel received a shock when the United Kingdom — one of the friendliest countries to the Israeli state — voted in favor of a Palestine statehood.
According to an article by Time, lawmakers in the United Kingdom voted overwhelmingly in favor of recognizing Palestine as a state on Monday. Despite the landslide vote, Israel is trying their best to weather the storm by emphasizing that the 274-to-12 vote doesn’t force any binding changes in British foreign policy, and is not to be treated as a change in conflict.
This comes off the heels of another country’s vote in favor of a Palestinian state: Sweden. However, Israel was able to take Sweden’s vote and dismiss it as anti-Israel in nature. Yet with the U.K. vote going in favor of Palestine, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is likely to face a new and unprecedented wave of international pressure to move toward a two-state solution with the Palestinians, something Netanyahu has made theoretical endorsements on but was panned by critics for stalling its progress.
BBC News followed up on the United Kingdom’s vote of a Palestine statehood, bringing up the question if the vote was a symbol or a stumble. Labour MP Grahame Morris was the one who presented the motion, and made a statement following the landslide vote as being the “right thing to do.”
“There’s a huge feeling in the country that this is the time.”
BBC News also reported that the New York Times editorial board claimed the United Kingdom is sending a message to Israel and its allies by siding with Palestine.
“The vote is one more sign of the frustration many people in Europe feel about the failure to achieve an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement despite years of promises.”
There is also negative reaction too. Jonathan S. Tobin of Commentary Magazine dismissed the United Kingdom vote, describing it nothing more than a “farce.”
“This says a lot more about the willingness of Europeans to pressure and even demonise Israel than it does about their supposed support for peace.”
Jonathan S. Tobin also brings up another question that needs to be answered on the topic of Palestine statehood. There are two governments operating in the Palestinian territories. Which one would the U.K. recognize? The Palestinian Authority in the West Bank or the Hamas state in Gaza? Should both be governing entities? Should none?
Now that you’ve read the article on the United Kingdom voting highly in favor of a Palestine statehood, what are your opinions? Are you for the country becoming a recognized state or not? Let everyone know in the comments below.
