*France Differs
THE Palestinian Presidency on Wednesday, May 22, welcomed the recognition of a Palestinian State by Spain, Norway and Ireland in “consecrating the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination on their land and steps to support the implementation of the two-state solution.”
It added, in a statement: “The right of peoples to self-determination is an established right recognised under international law,” calling on countries that have not yet recognised the State of Palestine to stand up to their responsibilities and acknowledge the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.
Before the announcement, eight European Union member states recognised the State of Palestine, including Bulgaria, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, Cyprus and Sweden.
The Secretary General of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, Hussein Al-Sheikh, considered the step a “historic moment,”
expressing gratitude to countries that have recognised and that would recognise the independent State of Palestine, saying this is the path to stability, security and peace in the region.
The Palestinians demand the establishment of an independent state alongside Israel, with pre-1967 borders and East Jerusalem as its capital.
Meanwhile, France’s Foreign Minister, Stéphane Séjourné, has rejected the idea of recognising Palestine as a state at the moment, insisting: “Our position is clear: recognition of Palestine is not taboo for France.”
Speaking on Wednesday after a meeting with his Israeli counterpart, Israel Katz, in Paris, the minister, however, said that decision in favour of the recognition must be beneficial and would be made at the right time.
He said such a decision should enable decisive progress at the political level, adding: “It is not just a symbolic question or a question of political positioning, but a diplomatic instrument in the service of a solution with two states living side-by-side in peace and security.
“France does not believe that the conditions have been met to date for this decision to have a real impact on this process.”
Earlier on Wednesday, Norway, Ireland and Spain said they would recognise Palestine as a state on May 28.
Katz’s visit to Paris followed France’s position in favour of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which Chief Prosecutor, Karim Khan, on Monday, May 20, applied for arrest warrants against Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant.
The Paris Foreign Ministry stated that it supported the ICC, its independence and the fight against impunity in all situations.
But after the meeting with Katz, Séjourné wrote on X: “I reaffirmed France’s priorities: immediate release of the hostages, ceasefire, massive humanitarian aid and two states living in peace and security.”
