Cameron petitioned to back Palestinian state

A petition has been delivered to Prime Minister David Cameron's Office in London, urging the British government to back a UN resolution recognising an independent Palestinian state. Palestinian representative to the UK, Manuel Hassassian said that Cameron, who is currently at the UN General Assembly in New York, should “think seriously” due to Britain's legacy of responsibility for the UN mandate for Palestine. “This is the time to take a firm stance because they have a moral and historical obligation towards the Palestinian people and to vote yes for the membership of Palestine in the United Nations,” Hassassian said. Speaking to IRNA, he also said that he was “very disappointed” with the US threatening to use its Security Council veto to block the proposal. “We think it is so tragic and ironically that the US that is fighting for freedom and democracy in the world and is supporting our Arab brothers for self-determination. yet they are obstructing the Palestinians in their pursuit for self-determination.” the envoy said. The petition delivered on Wednesday evening was collectively signed by a variety of organisations, ranging from Fatah UK and the Association of Palestinian Communities to Jews for Justice for Palestinians. Others included the parliamentary-led Council for Arab-British Understanding, Labour Friends of Palestine and iEngage, the British Muslim campaigning group. Support for a Palestinian state has also come from British trade unions as well as two former British foreign secretaries, Jack Straw and David Miliband, who have urged Cameron's government to stop sitting on the fence and back the UN resolution due this week.