Brussels, 16/06/2011 (Agence Europe) - Palestinian leaders firmly intend to call for a “Palestinian state” to join the United Nations (UN) in September whether or not peace talks with Israel have been resumed, and they call on the EU for “collective recognition” of that new state. The question, of a tricky nature for Europeans, will most certainly be evoked during the Middle East visit by EU High Representative Catherine Ashton, which began on Thursday. The subject is also likely to be on the agenda of the Foreign Affairs Council scheduled for Monday 20 June, in Luxembourg.
Speaking in Madrid on Thursday 16 June, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said they hoped the European Union would take a decision to collectively recognise the Palestinian state within the 1967 borders. He went on to hope that Spain would assume leadership of EU countries towards official recognition of the Palestinian state within 1967 borders by playing an “active role so that all EU countries recognise it”. Recognition of states remains within the scope of individual member state competence and the example of Kosovo has shown that the 27 EU member states are not always on the same wavelength (five member states do not recognise the self-proclaimed independence of Pristina). “If there is no unanimity within the EU, each country must have the right to decide whether it wants to recognise the Palestinian state or not”, al- Maliki continued. While the United States sounds a note of caution against hasty unilateral action, EU countries seem divided on the matter. Nations such as France and Spain would be willing to vote for and recognise the Palestinian state if peace negotiations resume by September. Others, like Germany, are against the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state without a negotiated settlement, as the German foreign minister, Guido Westerwelle, explained during a visit to Israel this week. European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek is also opposed. He was in Israel and in the Palestinian territories recently where he reportedly told discussion partners that a UN declaration on the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state “could be dangerous” and would compromise the peace process between the two parties. He also underlined that aspirations of peace and the creation of an independent Palestinian state must only come about after negotiation. In the meantime, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has begun to rally against any misplaced Palestinian initiative. Speaking on Tuesday evening during his meeting with Jerzy Buzek, Netanyahu said: “By September, we want to work on bringing together 30 to 50 countries to say 'no' to unilateral recognition of the UN General Assembly of a Palestinian state. It is a moral majority”.
Ashton's visit. On Thursday 16 June, in Amman (Jordan), Catherine Ashton began a visit to the Middle East where high level meetings are scheduled with the main actors in the negotiation process. On Friday 17 June, she will meet Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and the opposition leader, Tzipi Livni, before continuing to the West Bank to meet Palestinian officials, Abbas and Fayyad. She will then go on to Egypt where she will attend a meeting of the Cairo Group dedicated to the situation in Libya. Before leaving, she said in a press release that she looked forward to meeting Israeli and Palestinian leaders and “encouraging them to seize the opportunity and engage in negotiations”. She said she will be “looking for positive signs from all sides” during her visit. During her stay, Ashton will also meet with the senior officials of countries visited as well as representatives of the UN, the Arab league, the African Union and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference. She will also restate her call for a Quartet meeting to be set up as soon as possible. (H.B./F.B./transl.jl)