MPs debate Palestine and Israel
13 October 2014
On Monday 13 October MPs took part in a debate on a motion relating to Palestine and Israel. This debate was scheduled by the Backbench Business Committee following representations from Grahame M. Morris, Crispin Blunt, Sir Bob Russell, Caroline Lucas and Jeremy Corbyn.
MPs voted 274 to 12 on division (Division 54) to approve the amended motion:
'That this House believes that the Government should recognise the state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel, as a contribution to securing a negotiated two state solution.'
Watch the debate and read the transcript
The debate was opened by Grahame M. Morris, Labour MP for Easington. Shadow Minister (Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Ian Lucas, responded on behalf of the Opposition. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Tobias Ellwood, responded on behalf of the Government.
- Watch Parliament TV: MPs debate Palestine and Israel, Monday 13 October 2014
- Read Commons Hansard: MPs debate Palestine and Israel, Monday 13 October 2014
- Read the original motion for debate, together with the proposed amendments, in the Order Paper: Business of the Day Item One
How the subject was selected
The subject for this debate was determined by the Backbench Business Committee following representation from Grahame M. Morris, Crispin Blunt, Sir Bob Russell, Caroline Lucas and Jeremy Corbyn at the public meeting on Tuesday 9 September 2014.
- Parliament TV: Backbench Business Committee on 9 September 2014
- Transcript of oral evidence heard on 9 September 2014
Backbench Business Committee
The Backbench Business Committee meets weekly on Tuesdays at 3pm to consider requests for debates from any backbench Members of Parliament on any subject, including those raised in e-petitions or national campaigns.
An MP must make a representation before the Committee for an e-petition or petition to be debated; e-petitions exceeding the Government's 100,000 signature threshold are not automatically allocated backbench time.
The Committee then has to decide how to allocate the limited Parliamentary time it has at its disposal. The Committee's meetings are always conducted in public and can be watched on Parliament TV.