Alþingi, the Icelandic parliament, approved a resolution put forth by Minister for Foreign Affairs Össur Skarphéðinsson yesterday, in which the government is entrusted with recognizing an independent and sovereign State of Palestine within the pre-1967 Six Day War borders.

At Alþingi. Archive photo by Páll Kjartansson.

The resolution was adopted without objections, with 38 votes in favor and 13 abstentions, a press release states.

The parliament urges the Israelis and the Palestinians to seek, through negotiations, a peace agreement on the basis of international law and United Nations resolutions, and furthermore demands that the parties to the conflict immediately cease all military actions and acts of violence and respect human rights and humanitarian law.

Skarphéðinsson welcomes the widespread support for the Palestinian cause demonstrated by the parliament by passing the resolution.

According to Fréttablaðið, a number of spectators observed the parliament’s vote, Palestinian nationals among them, who cheered once the results were clear.

The text of the resolution is the following:

“Alþingi resolves to entrust the government to recognize Palestine as an independent and sovereign state within the pre-1967 Six Day War borders.

Also, Alþingi urges Israelis and Palestinians to reconcile through the means of peace agreements on the basis of international law and resolutions of the United Nations, including the mutual recognition of the State of Israel and the State of Palestine.

Alþingi reaffirms that the PLO, the Palestine Liberation Organization, is the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people and also recalls the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their former homes in accordance with resolutions reaffirmed by the United Nations.

Alþingi demands that the conflicting parties in the Arab-Israeli Conflict cease warfare and acts of violence forthwith and respect human rights and humanitarian law.”

Click here to read more about Iceland’s support for Palestine.

ESA