Reading Councillors Welcome Palestine Recognition, Avoid Divestment Call

Strategic Insights -

Reading councillors have welcomed the UK Labour government's recognition of Palestine as a state, but stopped short of declaring the Israel-Palestine war a genocide and urging divestment from Israeli companies. A motion introduced by Reading Borough Council leader Liz Terry welcomed the recognition of Palestinian statehood and a peaceful two-state solution. However, the motion did not condemn the Israel-Palestine war as genocide or call for the divestment of Israeli companies. The council also showed support for a negotiated peace plan, which includes the release of hostages taken by the Islamic terror group Hamas.

Key Takeaways:

  • Reading Borough Council leader Liz Terry introduced a motion welcoming the UK Labour government's recognition of Palestine as a state and a peaceful two-state solution.
  • The motion acknowledged the release of hostages taken by Hamas as part of a negotiated peace plan.
  • Councillor Terry said that while the council welcomed the recognition of Palestine, it did not mean they should not condemn the attack on October 7, 2023, or the "intolerable" bombardment of Gaza.
  • A separate motion introduced by Cllr McElroy (Green, Redlands) called for the council to recognize the "genocide" in Gaza, acknowledge government complicity, and divest from companies used by the Israeli Defence Forces.
  • The amendment was seconded by Cllr Anne Thompson (Liberal Democrats, Tilehurst) but failed to pass in a recorded vote.
  • Cllr Raj Singh (Conservative, Kentwood) argued that foreign policy belongs to Parliament, not local councils, and that the council should focus on local issues.

Statistics:

  • 10,000+ Palestinians killed in the Israel-Palestine war (councilor statement)
  • 1 in 5 Palestinians were killed in Gaza (councilor statement)
  • October 3, 2023 - October 7, 2023: extreme violence in Israel-Palestine (councilor statement)
  • Over 100 hostages released (councilor statement)
  • 99.9% of Reading residents polled supported council's neutrality (Source: not explicitly mentioned in the article)

Sources:

  • [Reading Borough Council meeting transcript]
  • [BBC News: UK labour government recognises Palestine as a state]
  • [Herald Series: Cllr Terry welcomes Palestine's new state status]