EU puts pressure on Israel The French and Irish parliaments - TopicsExpress



          

EU puts pressure on Israel The French and Irish parliaments have become the latest in Europe to call on their governments to recognize an independent state of Palestine, confirming a trend that reflects changing public opinion across the continent. In October, Israel withdrew its ambassador from Stockholm when Sweden became the first Western EU member state to recognize Palestinian statehood. Subsequent non-binding parliamentary votes were held in Britain, France and Spain – the first two being permanent members of the UN Security Council. The EU parliaments calling on their governments to follow Sweden have not meant instant diplomatic change. The decisions in the end are symbolic but they are thought likely to influence policy eventually. The votes are the response to poor prospects for the resumption of meaningful peace talks aiming at a two-state solution between Israel and the PLO. The summer war in Gaza, in which 2,000 Palestinians were killed, is another factor behind this growing trend. These votes are telling Palestinians that there is an alternative to either violent resistance or passive acquiescence to the occupation, and that non-violent political, diplomatic and legal tools can produce results. For more details: saudigazette.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20141214227401
Posted on: Sun, 14 Dec 2014 04:20:00 +0000

Trending Topics



Recently Viewed Topics




© 2015