France: EU May Recognize Palestinian State

Jerusalem Post reports:

France said Thursday that European nations were considering unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state.

“Recognition of the state of Palestine is one of the options which France is considering, with its European partners, in a bid to relaunch the peace process,” AFP quoted French Ambassador Gerard Araud as telling a UN Security Council debate on the Middle East.

By contrast, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, urging Israelis and Palestinians to return to the negotiating table, reiterated her opposition to a proposed UN declaration of Palestinian statehood.

“We do not support any unilateral effort by the Palestinians to go to the United Nations to try to obtain some authorization or approval vote with respect to statehood,” she told PBS’s Charlie Rose in an interview late on Wednesday night. “We think we can only achieve the two-state solution that we strongly advocate through negotiation.”

The Palestinians are threatening to seek a unilateral declaration of statehood at the UN General Assembly when it opens in September.

In Paris, PA President Mahmoud Abbas said on Thursday it would “illogical” for the United States to block a Palestinian bid for statehood at the UN.

Clinton expressed her hope that “everyone would realize that negotiations are the only way,” noting that US President Barack Obama “has said that he will continue to press both sides, which is what we believe we have to do.”

She described the regional turmoil as prompting both sides to hold back and evaluate the effect the shake-up has had on their interests.

But despite the recent tumult, she stressed that “it is in the best interest of both the Israelis and the Palestinians, even in the midst of everything going on in the region, to try to turn to the hard work” of striking a deal.