Europeans debate common stand on Palestine

AP, Brussels :Frustrated by deadlock in the Middle East peace process, a growing number of European leaders and lawmakers are calling for unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state.That movement took a step forward Wednesday as members of the European Parliament began debating whether they can agree on a common approach for the European Union’s 28 member states.Recognition of a country is a decision for national governments. But EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini told lawmakers meeting in Strasbourg, France that the bloc needs to forge “a united and strong message” to influence events.The ultimate goal, Mogherini said, is creation of an independent Palestinian state and securing Israel’s right to live in “security, safety and peace.” She said one cannot happen without the other.On Oct. 30, Sweden’s government became the first Western European nation in the EU to recognize Palestinian statehood. Since then, lawmakers in Britain, Spain and Ireland have approved non-binding motions urging recognition. French legislators are scheduled to debate a similar measure on Friday.The trend in favor of recognition has aroused both alarm and approval in Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday warned that it would encourage the Palestinians to “harden their positions” and make peace harder to achieve.Other Israelis said the Europeans’ actions, and the snowball effect they might have, could force their country back to the negotiating table with the Palestinians for substantive talks.”Without European pressure, nothing here will budge,” said Alon Liel, a former director of Israel’s Foreign Ministry.Germany, Israel’s closest European ally and the EU’s most powerful member, is a leading opponent of recognizing Palestinian statehood before Israel does. To do so, German officials say, would do more harm than good.Chancellor Angela Merkel said Friday it was better to focus on getting Israel-Palestinian talks going again, although “that appears very difficult in the current conditions.” She added that “we also believe that unilateral recognition of the Palestinian state won’t move us forward.”The British Parliament’s motion in favor of recognition was adopted 274-12 with support from both major parties, though Prime Minister David Cameron and other government leaders abstained. Lawmakers said they hoped the vote would help kick-start the peace process.Jeremy Corbyn, a Labour member of Parliament who helped introduce the recognition measure, said there had been a “sea change in opinion” in Europe caused by the Israeli military campaign in Gaza this summer.”It was so brutal and so televised,” said Corbyn. “I think Netanyahu has spectacularly badly handled relations with most other governments and certainly with the UN.”Without debate, Ireland’s upper legislative chamber adopted its resolution after Sen. Averil Power of the center-right Fianna Fail party called for a clear sign of support for the Palestinian people “in the aftermath of Israel’s latest assault on Gaza.”Meanwhile, Israel is defying the world by “undermining” prospects for a two state solution through its settlements policy, South African President Jacob Zuma said on Wednesday as he welcomed visiting Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas.”The reality is that the overwhelming majority in the world agrees with the position of two states living side by side in peace, but we have a problem of a country that is defying all of that,” said Zuma.”We reiterate our call for the total cessation of all settlement activities,” he told a joint news conference with Abbas.Criticising the way the United Nations works, he added: “I don’t think the system should allow that one country can defy the world.” South Africa was ready to assist with negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians and had appointed two special envoys for the task, Zuma added.Abbas said the Palestinians sought to benefit from South Africa’s “successful experiences” in building an independent state.”We are the last nation in the world that is still living under occupation,” he said.Zuma’s ruling African National Congress is a firm supporter of the Palestinian cause, with politicians regularly comparing Israel to the former racist apartheid state in South Africa. The white minority government had cooperative relations with Israel, but when Nelson Mandela was elected first democratic president in 1994, he pledged to support Palestine, saying: “South Africa’s freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.”