UK Churches: Right of Palestinians to independent statehood 'long overdue'

Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem

Anglican and Catholic bishops have given their full support to an historic vote in Parliament that will call on the government to recognise Palestine as a state. Labour backbencher Grahame Morris will present the motion as MPs today, as return to the Commons.The motion has the full backing of the Labour shadow cabinet. The Bishops say in a statement: "At a time of great uncertainty in the Middle East and North Africa, we hold that it is the reasonable aspiration of all peoples to belong to a state and enjoy the merits of full and active citizenship on their own lands. We equally believe that the right of Palestinians for such statehood has been long overdue.

Given the benchmarks established by international law and universal legitimacy, and in light of the support offered by the Christian Church in the Holy Land, we believe Palestinians should also have a state that they can at long last call home. Such a principled recognition by our Parliament and Government will facilitate rather than hamper the negotiations that would inevitably follow between Israelis and Palestinians to agree upon the details of this new and sovereign state created next to a secure Israel.

Peace needs a bold vision.

The statement is signed by The Lord Bishop of Coventry, Rt Revd Dr Christopher Cocksworth, Church England’s Lead Bishop for Foreign Affairs and Bishop Declan Lang, Bishop of Clifton, Chair of the Bishops’ Conference Department of International Affairs.

The vote is symbolic and will not change government policy - but it could have international implications.

Current government policy, as set out by former foreign secretary William Hague, is that 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".

Mr Morris's motion states that "this House believes that the government should recognise the state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel".  A group of backbench MPs is expected to attach an amendment to the motion with the words "as a contribution to securing a negotiated two-state solution".

The vote comes amid moves elsewhere in Europe to recognise Palestine officially. Sweden's new government announced last week that it intends to officially recognise Palestine as a state, becoming the first long-term European Union member state to do so.

It will join more than 100 other countries that have already recognised Palestinian statehood.

Church leaders in the Middle East and the Vatican have appealed for the recognition of the Palestinian state on many occasions. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the Dalai Lama and many world faith leaders have also urged the two-state solution.

 Source: CCN/VIS/