During the voting, resulted in many hours of debate on the issue, the document was supported by 274 parliamentarians, 12 parliamentarians voted "against". The Prime Minister David Cameron and his cabinet members abstained, reports NEWSru.co.il.
It should be noted that the resolution, the draft of which was submitted to the Parliament by the representatives of the opposition Labor Party, has advisory nature and is not required to be carry out by the government. It merely expresses the position of the majority of Parliamentarians on "the question of Palestine".
Earlier, the Office of the Cameron told the reporters that whatever the results of the vote in the Parliament were, the British policy with regard to the Palestinian Authority would not change. At the same time, the British Government reserves the right to recognize the state of Palestine in the future – in the case, if it deems it appropriate and leading to peace in the region.
It is to be recalled that to date more than 100 countries have already expressed their willingness to accept a non-existent state of Palestine – in defiance of Israel, which considers this step premature and greatly lowering the possibility of establishing peace in the region.
In 2012, the UN General Assembly by an overwhelming majority (138, including the UK, compared to 9) elevated the status of the Palestinian Authority to the level of the "observer".
Earlier, the head of the Israeli Foreign Ministry has threatened with sanctions if Palestine state is recognized.
In January 2013, the President of the Palestinian National Authority Mahmoud Abbas signed a decree to rename the PNA into "the State of Palestine", ordering to change the official symbols, including flag and seals.