So far, 153 French parliamentarians have signed an open letter to Francois Hollande urging the outgoing French president to officially recognize the State of Palestine before his 5-year term ends.
“France must demonstrate its determination to break the deadlock on this conflict [between Israel and Palestine] by solemnly reaffirming, in the name of the uniform right to self-determination, that the Palestinian people have the right to be granted the title of a State. It is a matter of respect for international law as well as of Israel’s security,” the letter states, according to Le Journal du Dimanche.
Written by Gilbert Roger, a French Socialist senator from the Seine-Saint-Denis district and president of the France-Palestine Friendship Group, the letter also states that it is unjust for France to advocate a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict without recognizing both states.
French parliamentarians call on Hollande to recognise Palestinian state https://t.co/7qmQPDUeCH | #France #Palestine pic.twitter.com/9FFIzOvSpX
— Middle East Monitor (@MiddleEastMnt) February 27, 2017
“As you yourself said, Mr. President, ‘only bilateral negotiations can be successful,’” the letter notes.
“It is therefore time for these negotiations to take place on an equal footing, State to State. France cannot officially advocate the two-state solution and recognize only one [France recognized the State of Israel in 1949]. Our actions must now follow our words. Mr. President, show yourself up to the challenge and do not miss this rendezvous with history, recognizing the State of Palestine from now on,” the letter says.
The open letter has now been signed by 153 parliamentarians from most political groups in France’s two Parliament Chambers, with a slight majority from the left.
(RT, PC, Social Media)
