The possible recognition in May of a Palestinian State by several countries of the European Union could give impetus to the two-state solution —Israel and Palestine— advocated by Western powers to resolve the conflict in Loop, analysts estimate.
Several European countries, including Spain, Ireland, Belgium, Slovenia and Malta, must announce their unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state in May, declared the head of diplomacy of the European Union (EU), Josep Borrell, in Riyadh, Arabia. Saudi.
“It is a primarily symbolic gesture, which at first will not change the lives of the Palestinians, but it can be a lever to force Israel to recognize this Palestinian State,” stressed Agnès Levallois, from the Institute for Research and Studies on the Mediterranean and Middle East, based in France.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is a historic opponent of the creation of a Palestinian state, which both the administration of US President Joe Biden and EU member states consider the only long-term solution.
Following the Hamas attacks in southern Israel on October 7, Netanyahu even considers that recognizing a Palestinian state would be equivalent to giving it a “gift” to the Islamist movement, explained Hasni Abidi, from the Center for Studies and Research of the Arab and Mediterranean World.
“Europeans, on the other hand, think that recognizing the Palestinian state is an additional step towards the establishment of Palestinian rights since it would strengthen the Palestinian Authority and weaken the position of Hamas.””he added.
“That would reinforce the dynamic (…) of peace, which was never the strong point of either Hamas or Netanyahu,” held.
Reinvigorating the voice of the EU
For Bertrand Besancenot, former French ambassador to Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the recognition of a Palestinian state by several European states will have no direct effect on Netanyahu’s position.
““It would certainly irritate him, but I’m not sure it will change his beliefs and his actions.” he opined.
“Yes, it would instead help the Biden administration in its pressure on Netanyahu, by showing that there is a movement among Europeans in that direction and that we cannot pretend that the issue does not exist”he added.
The President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, defended before Parliament on April 10 that recognizing the Palestinian State was part of the “geopolitical interest of Europe”.
His appearance came a few days after a joint statement with his Irish, Maltese and Slovenian counterparts, in which they stated that they were “willing to recognize Palestine” if I could “contribute positively” to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The EU is trying to gain more weight in the debate, at a time when international outrage is growing over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, following the Israeli offensive launched in response to the Hamas attack.
Borrell’s statements also occur at a time when ““The European voice is marginalized,” analyzed Hasni Abidi.
A massive unilateral recognition “it would once again place the Europeans in a position of strength in the discussions and give them leverage in the face of the obstinacy of the current Israeli government.”
But for now, neither France nor Germany, two EU leaders, have joined the movement.
French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné assured his counterparts in Riyadh that recognition of a Palestinian state was not “a taboo for France”but it had to be framed “in a global strategy for a two-state political solution”The minister’s entourage told AFP.
Agnès Levallois, for her part, warned against “real trap” which would mean recognizing a Palestinian State “to ease the conscience”, without any other concrete commitment.
To date, 137 of the 193 UN member states recognize the existence of a Palestinian state.
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Source: Gestion
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