The British Sheffield City Council recognized the State of Palestine as a full Sovereign state and raised the Palestinian flag outside its Town Hall.
It comes after the group handed in a petition with almost 20,000 signatures, calling on the city council to recognize Palestine.
Labor Friends of Palestine, who supported this move, said they will pass on this decision to the British Parliament to discuss it in September.
Palestine’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, Hussam Zomlot, welcomed the move and praised the Sheffield Labor Friends of Palestine for their efforts to get their city to recognize Palestine and raise its flag.
Ambassador Hussam Zomlot said this support is not only symbolic, but rather is a step toward British recognition of Palestine, which he said is long overdue and a duty for Britain which participated in the tragedy of the Palestinian people with the infamous Balfour Declaration of 1917 that promised a homeland for the Jews in Palestine totally disregarding its indigenous Palestinian population.
Julie Pearn, of Labour Friends of Palestine, said: “The time for recognition is long overdue. The state of Palestine is already recognized by 138 other nations.”
“We believe public recognition of the Palestine state by the council would be a powerful and influential statement of solidarity which we hope other councils will envy.” Julie Pearn added.
Councilor Olivia Blake, deputy leader, also said then that “Sheffield is just one city but we can make this symbolic gesture and hope to put pressure on government to do likewise.”
Councilor Olivia Blake, deputy leader, said ” We must give recognition of the right for all communities to have their own sovereign states, Sheffield is just one city but we can make this symbolic gesture and hope to put pressure on government to do likewise.”
