Nia Griffith MP who is a founder member of the Labour Friends of Palestine and the Middle East has welcomed a clear statement in favour of the Palestinian application for statehood from Douglas Alexander MP, Labour’s Shadow Foreign Secretary.
Nia said “Supporting the recognition bid was the right step towards achieving a just and viable two state solution in the Middle East. The World Bank, the UN, the EU and the IMF have all assessed the progress of the Palestinian Authority and judged it to be ready for statehood. I would urge our government and foreign secretary William Hague to be decisive and show the leadership necessary to support the recognition of a Palestinian state at the UN. The UK cannot support the right to self-determination in every country in the Middle East and then deny the same right to the Palestinians, in violation of international law and UN resolutions, especially when they are pursuing their aims in a peaceful non-violent manner.”