Britain to abstain on Palestine statehood vote at UN
Diplomats told a UN committee that Britain would formally abstain in any vote, expected later this year. France, like Britain a permanent and veto-holding member of the UN security council, and Colombia, a current member, said the same.
The decision has no practical effect as the United States has already indicated it will veto the bid. But a vote in favour by major powers like Britain and France would have been a triumph for the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas.
It would also have marked a significant step-change in Britain’s attitude to Israel, which has already become much more critical since the Coalition took power last year.
Britain has come under intense pressure from both sides in the heated debate over the vote, which has been pushed by Mr Abbas since he pulled out of direct negotiations with Israel over its settlement-building policies.
The foreign secretary, William Hague, has been among the loudest voices condemning Israeli policies, most recently when the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, approved more settlements and suspended the handing over of tax receipts to the Palestinian authorities in retaliation for their successful application to join UNESCO as a full member.