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MPs sign up against Sharon's barrier
Jul 24 2004
A Birmingham MP's House of Commons motion calling on Israel to dismantle the wall being built inside the occupied West Bank has now been signed by more than 200 British MPs.
It was tabled by Richard Burden MP, chair of the Britain-Palestine All Party Parliamentary Group, and has signatures from MPs representing all the major political parties in England, Scotland and Wales.
Few Commons motions on any subject attract this level of support.
Following an advisory ruling by the International Court of Justice earlier this month, the United Nations General Assembly has declared the construction of the wall on Palestinian land to be illegal.
All members of the European Union, including the UK, voted to support the resolution,
Mr Burden said: "The 200 MPs who have signed my motion reflect the massive international outcry against the wall that Israel is building in the West Bank.
"Israel prefers to call it a fence, but whatever you call it, the fact is that it is a barrier to peace.
"It is true that many innocent Israelis have lost their lives in the appalling bloodshed of the last few years, as have innocent Palestinians.
"People on both sides have the right to demand peace and security. It seems to me, though, that we should be building bridges between the peoples, not walls to divide them."
