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| Labour should not have voted to recognise Palestine, says leadership candidate Liz Kendall | Labour should not have voted to recognise Palestine, says leadership candidate Liz Kendall |
| (6 months later) | |
| Labour should not have voted for Britain to recognise the Palestinian state, a candidate for the leadership of the party has said. | Labour should not have voted for Britain to recognise the Palestinian state, a candidate for the leadership of the party has said. |
| Liz Kendall argued that recognising Palestine was not the “right thing to do” and argued that a “responsible opposition” would not have done it. | Liz Kendall argued that recognising Palestine was not the “right thing to do” and argued that a “responsible opposition” would not have done it. |
| “The question asked about hostility [between Labour and the Jewish community] and I think that really did come to a crunch in the vote on the House of Commons on recognizing the Palestinian state,” she told a hustings event hosted by the Jewish Chronicle newspaper. | “The question asked about hostility [between Labour and the Jewish community] and I think that really did come to a crunch in the vote on the House of Commons on recognizing the Palestinian state,” she told a hustings event hosted by the Jewish Chronicle newspaper. |
| “I don’t think it was a three-line whip, I’ve never broken a three-line whip, but I did abstain because I didn’t think it was the right thing to do. | “I don’t think it was a three-line whip, I’ve never broken a three-line whip, but I did abstain because I didn’t think it was the right thing to do. |
| “The way we achieve peace is through a two-state solution and negotiation, not through passing resolutions in the House of Commons or the United Nations. | “The way we achieve peace is through a two-state solution and negotiation, not through passing resolutions in the House of Commons or the United Nations. |
| “I don’t believe we would have done that had we been in Government and I believe a responsible opposition that seeks to become the Government should behave in the same way – particularly over such an important issue as this.” | “I don’t believe we would have done that had we been in Government and I believe a responsible opposition that seeks to become the Government should behave in the same way – particularly over such an important issue as this.” |
| In 2014 Labour supported a successful motion, also backed by MPs of other parties, for Britain to recognise the Palestinian state. The motion was largely symbolic and does not change Government policy. | |
| Ms Kendall said she had come under a lot of pressure from her own constituents to back the vote but had not done as they asked. | Ms Kendall said she had come under a lot of pressure from her own constituents to back the vote but had not done as they asked. |
| Ms Kendall, Andy Burnham and Yvette Cooper all also told the hustings even in London that they opposed the boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel. | Ms Kendall, Andy Burnham and Yvette Cooper all also told the hustings even in London that they opposed the boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel. |
| Jeremy Corbyn said he was not in favour of a generalised boycott of Israel but that he supported an arms embargo on the country and a boycott of products from the occupied territories. | Jeremy Corbyn said he was not in favour of a generalised boycott of Israel but that he supported an arms embargo on the country and a boycott of products from the occupied territories. |
| Ms Kendall said she would fight boycotts with “every fibre of [her] being”. | Ms Kendall said she would fight boycotts with “every fibre of [her] being”. |
| As of last year 135 of the 193 member states of the United Nations recognised Palestine. | As of last year 135 of the 193 member states of the United Nations recognised Palestine. |
| Israel does not recognise its neighbour and currently illegally occupies the territory. Critics of recognition argue it would make a two-state solution to the conflict more difficult. | Israel does not recognise its neighbour and currently illegally occupies the territory. Critics of recognition argue it would make a two-state solution to the conflict more difficult. |
| Voting by 274 to 12 MPs across all parties urged the Government to “recognise the state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel” as part of a “contribution to securing a negotiated two-state solution”. | Voting by 274 to 12 MPs across all parties urged the Government to “recognise the state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel” as part of a “contribution to securing a negotiated two-state solution”. |