The Jewish Labour Movement (JLM) is concerned that the 66th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) will be asked to support an application by the Palestinian Authority for full recognition of a Palestinian state even though such a step would be taken without the underpinning of ongoing peace negotiations seriously pursued both by Israel on the one hand and on the other, by the Palestinians at a stage where the Palestinian Authority does not exercise control over the boundries proposed for a future state.
JLM has consistently long supported a negotiated two-state solution with an Israeli Jewish state within secure borders, and a viable Palestinian state and urges both sides to return to the negotiating table, without preconditions and with both sides respectively avoiding any unilateral action which would jeopardise such direct negotiations, intended to achieve this end.
JLM considers that there would be potentially serious implications if the proposed UNGA application were to be pressed to a vote, for both parties to the conflict, and would not advance the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people, but would encourage the opponents of Jewish self determination to regard any such UNGA support as justifying their enmity towards the Jewish state and their attempts to delegitimize it, contrary to the UN Charter.
Accordingly, we urge Her Majesty’s Government to persuade all the European Union and other Quartet partners to encourage all parties concerned to act responsibly and re-start negotiations and for HMG not to jeopardise its position as honest broker by supporting the intended demand for declaration of Palestinian statehood at the UNGA.
September 2011