Israeli Arab MK Tibi lobbies British MPs to back Palestinian statehood

"Supporting a Palestinian state is a moral act that will promote the peace process, not the other way around," Tibi says in London ahead of vote on non-binding measure to recognize "Palestine."

MK Ahmed Tibi (UAL - Ta'al) in the Knesset. (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
MK Ahmed Tibi (UAL - Ta'al) in the Knesset.
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Voting in favor of Palestinian statehood will spur the peace process, MK Ahmed Tibi (UAL-Ta'al) told British MPs Monday, lobbying them ahead of the vote in parliament.
"Supporting a Palestinian state is a moral act that will promote the peace process, not the other way around," Tibi told the MPs. "The old way of negotiating is over and the Netanyahu government is doing everything to sabotage the vision of two states, mostly by building settlements."
Tibi called the UK parliament vote, which he plans to attend, an important diplomatic event and a catalyst for other parliaments in Europe and around the world to do the same.
Tibi called Labor Secretary-General Hilik Bar's letter to its UK counterpart, in which a backbencher initiated the vote, asking the party not to support the measure because it is unilateral, an immoral request.
"It's embarrassing that the party that initiated settlement construction, which is the most unilateral action, is now acting as Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman's subcontractor," he said.
"Anyone who supports the two-state principle must support this move, a nonviolent diplomatic motion, otherwise he is perpetuating the occupation and injustice," Tibi added.
MK Alex Miller (Yisrael Beytenu) said in response that Tibi is Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's puppet. 
"It's clear that this stupid behavior only distances the possibility of a future agreement and will not achieve anything," Miller said. "What's clear is that Abbas succeeded in doing one thing - make money at the expense of the miserable residents of Gaza."