EU leaders have pledged to recognise a Palestinian state.
It has been 25 years since EU leaders committed to “recognising the State of Palestine in due course” at a summit. But only 9 of the 27 current EU members have actually done so. Martin Koneczny, director of the European Middle East Project, believes that if the entire Union had taken this step together, it would now be easier to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza:
The recognition issue is one of many examples of the discrepancy between the EU’s rhetorical support for a two-state solution in line with international law and the lack of action that would actually lead to this. If it does happen, it will be thanks to individual countries such as Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, Spain, Portugal and, crucially, France.
Currently, nine EU member states recognize Palestine: Sweden, Malta, Cyprus and six Eastern European countries. But today many of them rather support Israel.
Despite the internal divisions in the European Union, its official position is the need to resume the peace process to resolve the issue of two states. This is also supported by Hadja Lahbib, the Foreign Minister of Belgium, which took over the presidency of the European Council:
We are horrified when we see the number of dead and wounded. The destruction increases every day. We cannot remain indifferent to this. We must work for a solution. This is the only possible way. We must return to the negotiating table, work on the implementation of the principle of two states, allow the Palestinians to live in peace, have a perspective for the future.
The recognition of Palestine as a state by a large number of countries also helped to strengthen the credibility of its administration so that it could act in the Gaza Strip instead of Hamas. But, according to the Director of the Middle East Project, the EU must break another “taboo” related to its sense of loyalty to Israel:
This also concerns the EU’s attitude towards the illegal Jewish settlements in the West Bank, which in fact prevent the creation of a Palestinian state, since they occupy the territory on which this state should be created. We continue to trade with the settlers as if they were there legally. But at the same time we say that this Israeli policy is illegal. So this is another example of inconsistency.
Almost 70% of UN members recognize the State of Palestine. In a General Assembly vote in December, 153 countries voted for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, while 6 EU countries voted against or abstained.
Source: https://ru.euronews.com/my-europe/2024/01/11/eu-recognition-of-palestine
