Deputies vote to continue backing two state solution

Deputies on Sunday narrowly voted against a motion welcoming peace settlements Israel agrees mutually with its neighbours.

The motion had earlier garnered warnings from a deputy that it was a “back-door” resolution to force the Board of Deputies to welcome any future one-state solution agreed between Israel and others over the West Bank.

Deputies rejected by 74 votes to 73 the motion to “welcome any mutually agreed peace settlement between Israel and its neighbours and adopts no position on the form such a settlement should take”.

A motion to ensure that the Board took a stand against the planned Israeli annexation of the Jordan Valley and large parts of the West Bank was withdrawn after Israel’s recent normalisation agreement with the United Arab Emirates removed any imminent prospect of such a unilateral action.

The Sunday meeting did approve a motion calling on the Board “to remain an advocate” for a two-state solution, brought by Adrian Cohen and seconded by Ben Crowne. The unsuccessful motion was brought by Anthony Bolchover and seconded by Karen Solomon.

Board president Marie van der Zyl said the votes “reaffirmed” existing Board policy, which is to fight for “a secure Israel alongside a viable Palestinian state”.