Brazil has reportedly allocated land for the establishment of a Palestinian embassy on its soil, having recognized a sovereign and independent Palestinian state.
On Monday, the Palestinian Ambassador to Brazil Ibrahim Az-Zein was awarded the legal right to the $14-million-worth piece of land, the Palestinian Ma’an news agency reported.
The Palestinian Authority (PA)’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs subsequently issued a statement of acknowledgement.
Earlier this month, Brasilia recognized a Palestinian state within borders prior to the 1967 Six-Day War, when Tel Aviv captured the Palestinian territories of the West Bank, East al-Quds (Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip alongside expanses of other Arab territories.
In a groundswell of international support for the Palestinians, several other countries, including Argentina and Bolivia have also recognized such state and reports have pointed to Uruguay’s intention to take the measure in the future.
Brazil, which has for long demanded a role in brokering a deal between the PA and Tel Aviv, protested on Monday at the United States monopoly of the mediation.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said, “There will not be peace in the Middle East as long as the United States is the guardian of peace,” dpa reported. “It is necessary to involve other countries in negotiations (between Israel and the Palestinians)," he said.
The US-backed talks ground to a halt on September 26, when Tel Aviv, Washington’s strongest allies, refused to extend a partial freeze on the settlement construction on the occupied Palestinian lands.
Meanwhile, a secret Israeli Foreign Ministry cable has instructed Israeli diplomats abroad to prevent a United Nations Security Council resolution against the settlement activities, Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz reported on Monday.
The cable also ordered the officials to prevent international recognition of a Palestinian state, and upgrading of Palestinian diplomatic representations in Europe and Latin America.
This is while chief PA negotiator Saeb Erekat said on Sunday that 10 European Union member states were ready to upgrade the status of the Palestinian representative offices in their capitals.
The move was hailed as a step towards the representations’ being awarded the status of embassies of a sovereign country.
(Press TV)
