<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><br></div></div></div><div class="gmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br><div style="BACKGROUND:#ffffff;PADDING-BOTTOM:0px;PADDING-TOP:0px;PADDING-LEFT:0px;MARGIN:0px;PADDING-RIGHT:0px" dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div style="FONT-SIZE:12pt;FONT-FAMILY:'Calibri';COLOR:#000000"><div style="FONT-SIZE:small;TEXT-DECORATION:none;FONT-FAMILY:"Calibri";FONT-WEIGHT:normal;COLOR:#000000;FONT-STYLE:normal;DISPLAY:inline"><div style="FONT:10pt tahoma"><div> <b style="font-size:10pt;background-color:rgb(245,245,245)">From:</b><span style="font-size:10pt;background-color:rgb(245,245,245)"> </span><a title="david@davidward.org.uk" href="mailto:david@davidward.org.uk" style="font-size:10pt;background-color:rgb(245,245,245)" target="_blank">David Ward MP</a></div><div style="BACKGROUND:#f5f5f5">
<div><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, October 14, 2014 4:33 AM</div>
<div><b style="font-size:10pt">Subject:</b><span style="font-size:10pt"> UK Parliament votes to recognise
Palestine</span><br></div></div></div>
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<div style="FONT-SIZE:0px">Late last night,
I joined MPs from all sides of the House of Commons to vote for the UK
Government to immediately recognise Palestine as a sovereign state. I'm very
pleased to say that MPs chose...</div>
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<h1 style="FONT-SIZE:2em;MARGIN:0px">David Ward MP</h1>
<p style="MARGIN:0px"><a href="http://davidward.org.uk/" target="_blank">http://davidward.org.uk/</a></p>
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<p><img title="David Ward MP and other MP's before the vote to recognise Palestine" style="MARGIN-LEFT:auto;DISPLAY:block;MARGIN-RIGHT:auto" alt="David Ward MP and other MP's before the vote to recognise Palestine" src="http://davidward.org.uk/en/image/5vc9B6/600/266/david-ward-mp-and-other-mp-s-before-the-vote-to-recognise-palestine.png" width="600" height="266"></p>
<p>Late last night, I joined MPs from all sides of the House of Commons to vote
for the UK Government to immediately recognise Palestine as a sovereign
state.</p>
<p>I'm very pleased to say that MPs chose to recognise the state of Palestine by
274 votes for recognition to only 12 votes against recognition. I'm particularly
pleased to say that <strong>almost all Lib Dems</strong> that aren't Ministers
<strong>voted for Palestinian recognition</strong>.</p>
<p><strong>I voted to recognise the State of Palestine.</strong></p>
<p>I did this because it is the intrinsic right of the Palestinian people to be
recognised as a legitimate state outside of the ongoing peace process with
Israel. Some have said that a Palestinian State can only happen as part of a
negotiated peace ending in a two state solution with Israel.</p>
<p>To this, I say that the UK unilaterally recognised Israel in 1950 outside of
any negotiations with the Palestinian people and that it is absurd to have the
recognition of a sovereign people conditional on negotiations where one state
will always have power over the other. <strong>A successful two state solution
needs two states to be in existence.</strong></p>
<p><img title="David Ward and recognition of Palestine" style="min-height:208px;WIDTH:175px;FLOAT:left" alt="David Ward and recognition of Palestine" src="http://davidward.org.uk/en/image/5vc7DH/175/208/david-ward-and-recognition-of-palestine.png" width="175" height="208"></p>
<p>I want this crucial support from the House of Commons to give hope to the
Palestinian people, to provide a message that there are people in the world that
care about them and that violence is not the way to find a lasting peace. For
many Palestinians, the utter despair of their situation has forced them into the
arms of men of violence like Hamas as a way to fight against oppression. We need
to show these people that violence will only embolden Israeli aggression and the
only way to find peace is through successful peaceful negotiations.</p>
<p><strong>Statehood for the Palestinian people will provide hope and
demonstrate that there can be success in following a peaceful course of
action.</strong></p>
<p><br>Many people from all backgrounds and from all faiths are supporting us
and whilst yesterday's vote is non-binding, it will put enormous pressure on the
UK Government to follow our example and recognise the State of Palestine.</p>
<p>The tide is turning, the world has woken up and seen Israel's recent
atrocities in Gaza, it has categorically shown the world the horrors that many
Palestinians live in and that finding a lasting and non-violent two state
solution is an absolute priority.</p>
<p>In two weeks' time, I hope to go on a fact finding mission to Gaza and I will
be very proud to tell Palestinians I meet that the British Parliament supports
them and the State of Palestine. I will be publishing a diary of my Gaza visit,
who I meet and what I see and you will be able to follow this by visiting my
website at <a href="http://davidward.org.uk/click/mgGH?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.davidward.org.uk%2F" target="_blank">www.davidward.org.uk</a></p>
<p>Also if you have not already signed it, <strong>please sign and share my
petition on Twitter or Facebook</strong> calling for the UK Government to stand
up for the Palestinian people <a href="http://davidward.org.uk/en/petition/we-demand-the-british-government-stands-up-for-the-palestinians-now?t=mgGH" target="_blank">http://davidward.org.uk/en/petition/we-demand-the-british-government-stands-up-for-the-palestinians-now</a></p>
<p>Many thanks again for joining me and showing your continued support to the
Palestinian people.</p>
<p>With the best of wishes</p>
<p><img title="DW signiture" alt="DW signiture" src="http://davidward.org.uk/en/image/5fmF7C/110/59/dw-signiture.png" width="110" height="59"></p>
<p><strong>David Ward</strong></p>
<p><strong>Member of Parliament for Bradford East</strong></p>
<p><img title="Palestine Petition Button" style="MARGIN-LEFT:auto;DISPLAY:block;MARGIN-RIGHT:auto" alt="Palestine Petition Button" src="http://davidward.org.uk/en/image/5t2nH5/600/65/palestine-petition-button.png" width="600" height="65"></p>
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