The British parliament voted Monday in favor of a motion, tabled by a Labour MP, to recognize the state of Palestine, in a majority vote of 274-12. But the vote which came after a six-hour debate is non-binding for the British government which is sticking to its policy of recognizing Palestine only after a peace agreement is reached between Israel and the Palestinians.
British Prime Minister David Cameron, who abstained from the vote, made it clear that a favorable outcome of the vote would not change the country’s foreign policy toward the Palestinians.
“I’ve been pretty clear about the government’s position and it won’t be changing,” he said ahead of the vote.
The vote by 274 to 12 in the House of Commons passed thanks to the Labour’s mobilization, as well as the Conservative party's virtual absence from the vote. The motion states: "That this House believes that the Government should recognise the state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel as a contribution to securing a negotiated two-state solution."
The PM has indicated that a favorable outcome of the vote would not change the country’s foreign policy toward the Palestinians, Reuters reported, citing Cameron’s official spokesperson.
“I’ve been pretty clear about the government’s position and it won’t be changing,” the spokesman told reporters ahead of the vote.
An amendment proposed by pro-Israel MPs that the recognition of Palestine would be postponed until after a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians was rejected.
The vote was closely watched by Israeli authorities who are seeking to gauge European countries' readiness to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state.
The vote comes just as Sweden's new centre-left government has announced its decision to officially recognize Palestine, a move that has been condemned by Israel, which says an independent state can only be achieved through negotiations.