European Parliament supports recognition of a Palestinian state

The European Parliament, E.P. came out in support of the European Union’s, E.U., recognition of Palestinian statehood by approving a resolution on Wednesday drawn up by the major parliamentary groups.

A total of 498 members, voted in support of the resolution, which was rejected by 88 members, while 11 others abstained from voting.

The resolution stipulates that the E.P. supports “in principle, the recognition of Palestinian statehood and the twostate solution, and believes these should go hand in hand with peace talks, which should make progress.”

The resolution offered encouragement to the E.U’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Federica Mogherini, for her efforts to promote recognition of Palestinian statehood among all the E.U. member countries.

At the same time, the resolution expressed the lawmakers’ “grave concern” regarding the escalation of violence in the region, which they condemned “in the strongest terms.”

The EP warned specifically about “further escalation of violence involving holy sites, which could transform the IsraeliPalestinian conflict into a religious conflict.”

The resolution called on all political leaders on all sides to cooperate by means of clearcut measures designed to defuse violent conflicts.

The resolution stressed that “nonviolent means and respect for human rights and humanitarian law are the only way to achieve a sustainable solution and a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.”

On the other hand, the europarliam seized the opportunity to underscore the illegality, under international law, of Israel’s settlements in the Occupied Territories, urging that “both parties refrain from any action which may undermine the viability and the prospects of the twostate solution.”

The Parliament also endorsed the efforts made by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian national unity government in their attempts to find a longterm solution.

The lawmakers urged all Palestinian factions, including Hamas, to accept the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s, PLO, commitment to put an end to internal divisions.

The resolution also reflects Europe’s strong support for the twostate solution based on the 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as the shared capital of both states

The ultimate goal, it went on to say, is establishing a secure state of Israel and an independent, democratic, contiguous and viable Palestinian state living side by side in peace.

The members of parliament congratulated Mogherini on her initiative aiming to “bring together crossparty members of the European, Israeli and Palestinian parliaments to help advance an agenda for peace.”

The European Parliament considers that the European Union “should assume its responsibility and become a genuine actor and facilitator in the Middle East peace process.”