""We have been clear that this decision that we are taking is about the best way to respect the security for Israel as well as the security for Palestinians. "It's about protecting peace and justice and crucially security for the Middle East and we will continue to work with everyone across the region in order to be able to do that.""
""The easy thing to do would be to just walk away and to say well it is all just too hard," Cooper said. "We just think that is wrong when we've seen such devastation, such suffering. "Just as we recognise Israel, the state of Israel ... so we must also recognise the rights for the Palestinians to a state of their own as well.""
Yvette Cooper warned Israel not to annex parts of the West Bank following the UK's recognition of a Palestinian state. The UK announced recognition alongside Canada, Australia and Portugal while France and other European states plan similar moves. Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the recognitions as giving "a huge reward to terrorism." The UK framed recognition as a means to protect security for Israelis and Palestinians, to safeguard peace, justice and regional stability. Extremists on both sides threaten the two-state solution, which the UK aims to revive. The Consulate General in East Jerusalem will remain a consulate pending diplomatic talks with the Palestinian Authority.
Read at www.bbc.com
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