The British Parliament voted on Monday to recognize Palestine as a state, prompting the Israeli Embassy in London to publish a communique denouncing the symbolic vote as detrimental to Israeli-Palestinian peace deals.

After five hours of heated debates, the members of the British parliament passed a non-binding resolution that is indicative of an international trend that may soon see Palestine as a member of the United Nations.

Like Us on Facebook

In a statement, the Israeli foreign ministry condemned the premature recognition as a unilateral measure that could make peace negotiations between neighbors a failure.

"The route to Palestinian statehood runs through the negotiating room," read the statement.

Spokesman for Israel's Foreign Ministry Paul Hirschson told The New York Times that the resolution makes peace negotiations more difficult as it sends the Palestinians the message that they can achieve things outside bilateral talks.

Israel, the United States and most members of the European Union have long insisted that the path to the statehood of Palestine can only be made through bilateral negotiations.

The resolution was initiated and campaigned for by the British Labour Party. The Conservatives led by Prime Minister David Cameron abstained from voting.

At this point, Cameron's administration opposes any move recognizing the state of Palestine and the Labour resolution is unlikely to change Britain's policy, said The New York Times.

Hirschson said the resolution carries no legal weight, but it sours relations between long-time allies- Israel and Britain.

The vote comes after Sweden pledged to recognize the Palestinian statehood this month, the first European country to do so, while other members of the EU have revealed their plans of doing the same.

It also comes at an especially sensitive time when U.S.-brokered negotiations dissolved after Israel and Palestine refuse to acknowledge a two-state solution.

The recent bloody war in Gaza and Israel's continuing settlement work in East Jerusalem appear to have fueled the renewed surge of anti-Semitic episodes in Europe, The New York Times observed.

Tagspolitics, Western Asia, Palestinian nationalism, Israel, Palestinian National Authority