On Monday 22 January, President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas urged the European states that have not yet done so to recognise the state of Palestine.
"I call for a swift recognition of the state of Palestine", he said when arriving at the EU Foreign Affairs Council, where he had lunch with the European foreign ministers. In Abbas's view, "there is no contradiction between recognition of the state of Palestine and the resumption of negotiations" with Israel. Indeed, he even went further, saying he believed such a recognition would pave the way to peace and encourage the Palestinians to maintain hope about peace.
His call did not receive any response. "I understand the attitude of most countries saying that it is rather inappropriate to respond eye for eye and tooth for tooth (to America's actions). There is no critical mass for recognising Palestine", Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said at the end of the Council. Although he said he was in favour of recognition, he added that any individual initiative was to be avoided.
There are currently only nine-member states – Malta, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Poland and Sweden – that recognise the state of Palestine.
The European ministers did not agree on an association agreement between the EU and Palestine either, which is what France would like. "It's not a case of disagreement, but of timing", a European source stated. The issue of such an agreement is expected to come back up for discussion by the ambassadors of the Political and Security Committee in the coming week, the same source said.
Abbas calls for greater political role from EU
The president of the Palestinian Authority also thought the EU "should play a greater political role in the Middle East peace process in order to reach a fair solution". His proposal was picked up by High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, who said the Europeans have reaffirmed their resolve for the international framework to include the Quartet enlarged to some Arab countries, and possibly to Norway. As part of this "the EU would have a key role", she said.
Asselborn hoped the EU would play "a more determining role for the two parties to sit down around the table".
In addition to the extraordinary meeting of the ad hoc liaison committee on 31 January, Mogherini announced that the Arab League ministers could meet their European counterparts to discuss the situation, possibly at the Foreign Affairs Council on 26 February.
"This is not the time to disengage. Quite the opposite!", Mogherini stated in front of Abbas, adding that "the Palestinians and Israelis should show their commitment with the international community more than ever, with key actors in this process, so that we can work together towards a negotiated result".
Abbas took the message on board, and said the Palestinians were ready to continue on the negotiations path. According to Mogherini and Asselborn, Abbas also recognised that the USA should be involved in the peace process.
Not abandoning UNRWA
Mogherini and Abbas furthermore reiterated the importance of supporting the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), which helps several million Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, Gaza, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. "We have already increased our support and we are look at how to do more. But we hope our American friends will uphold their commitment to the UNRWA", Mogherini stated, adding that a reduction in the UN agency's activities would jeopardise stability and threaten the region's security. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)