British parliament votes 'symbolically' to recognize Palestinian statehood

The British Parliament has voted to support the recognition of Palestinian statehood, a report said.

Voting 274 to 12, a majority of 262 MPs on all sides urged the government yesterday to recognize the state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel as part of a "contribution to securing a negotiated two-state solution," reported The Guardian.

The report added that Labour had directed its MPs to vote in favor of the resolution, signaling that the party may go against Israel's wishes and recognize Palestine as a state if it comes to power at the next election.

However, even loyal Israel supporters within the Conservative Party chose not to vote against the motion which was introduced by Labour MP Grahame Morris.

Morris said that the decision was a "symbolically important step" towards peace at a time when the relations between Israel and Palestine are stuck at an impasse.

Support for the resolution marked a significant change in the nations' political landscape following failure of a series of peace negotiations and the bitter conflict in Gaza.