- To consider the following motion which notice has been given in accordance with Standing Order 13.1 signed by Councillor Waheed.
That this Council
Believes that there must be recognition of the rights of Palestinians to their own state,
Notes that 138 nations of the UN, out of 193 (71.5%), recognise Palestine as a state and in 2012 the UN General Assembly moved to do so - though this was blocked from full UN membership by the Security Council;
Notes that the current UK Government appears to have no intention of recognising Palestine, and notes that this is in contrast to the Labour Party’s commitment to recognise Palestine as a full state as part of the United Nations and under UK law;
Believes that the recognition of Palestine as a state is one step towards a genuine peaceful solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict;
Believes there has to be a peace process and there has to be a right of the Palestinian people to live in peace and security with equal rights to all religions and ethnic peoples;
Believes that whilst Luton is just one town, it is important to make this symbolic gesture to formally recognise Palestine as a full state, and hope that this will increase pressure on the UK Government to do likewise; and
Requests that this Motion is submitted to the Foreign Office, the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition.