France: Deputies urge the government to recognize the Palestinian State
The French deputies voted on Tuesday in favor of a resolution urging the government to recognize the State of Palestine, “in order to obtain a final settlement.”
The resolution was adopted with 339 votes in favor, from the government Socialist Party (PS), the neo-communists and environmentalists, while 151 deputies voted against.
Whereas, 68 deputies did not participate in the vote and 16 abstained.
This resolution is not binding for the government, however, it shows a trend towards recognition as a means of pressure, to revive the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and save the two-state solution.
Even though several developing countries recognize Palestine as a state, most Western European nations do not, and support the US and Israeli position.
The decision has caused unrest in Israel, which considers a “grave error” the recognition of Palestine before a negotiated settlement is reached, and states that such “unilateral decision” would aggravate the situation.






