Lawmakers in Britain are set to vote on a historic motion on Monday, where they will decide whether the UK will officially recognise Palestine as a state.
The motion, which states "this House believes that the government should recognise the state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel", was proposed by Labour backbencher Grahame Morris.
Morris told the Independent he felt it was “time to shout out loud that this should be done” adding, “not only is statehood the inalienable right of the Palestinian people, but recognizing Palestine will breathe new life into a peace process that is at an impasse.”
Shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander also commented on the motion, saying,
"Labour believes statehood for the Palestinians is not a gift to be given but a right to be recognised: That is why since 2011 Labour has supported Palestinian recognition at the United Nations and called on the government to support this important principle."
A group of retired diplomats, including two former Consul-Generals to Jerusalem, called on MPs to support the motion, stating,
“This is a rare opportunity for MPs to assist the government to take a historic decision by conveying the feeling of the country on a non-party issue which is both open and important.”
Currently the UK "reserves the right to recognise a Palestinian state bilaterally at the moment of our choosing and when it can best help bring about peace".
The move comes after Sweden’s new centre-left government became the first sitting member of the European Union to recognise the state of Palestine.