McAteer welcomes Commons vote to recognise Palestine

SDLP Newry councillor Kevin McAteer has welcomed a vote in the House of Commons which calls on the recognition of Palestine as a state.

Councillor Kevin McAteer

Speaking to Newry Times, Cllr McAteer said, “The recognition of Palestine as a legitimate state is the first step on the long road to finding a resolution to a conflict which has raged for too long.

“I was proud to see SDLP MPs stand firmly alongside the Palestinian people as we voted in favour of recognition of statehood.

“It’s clear that we will never find a two-state solution if we refuse to recognise two states. That argument was advanced passionately by my party colleague Mark Durkan MP and I’m pleased that MPs rallied around his firm logic.

“As a region emerging from conflict, we have a moral imperative to share our learning with others and try to help end the needless suffering of innocents in other conflict zones.

He added, “I’m glad that we could play a part in forcing the British Government to do the right thing and advance the cause of Palestine and peace in the Middle East.”

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Posted by Newry Times News on Oct 24 2014. Filed under Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry