On the occasion of Nakba, the catastrophe of the Palestinian people on 15 May 1948, the European Left reiterates our strong support of the rights of the Palestinian people to their own state and land on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, and for the return of the Palestinian refugees. We call for the recognition of the state of Palestine by the EU and EU member states and by as many countries and institutions as possible.

　　It is therefore with great relief that we note the recent impressive support of a Palestinian state by the overwhelming majority of countries in the UN General Assembly. And we greet the growing number of European countries aiming to do the same–after only a few countries in Western Europe did so previoulsy: Iceland, the Vatican and Sweden. However, now Spain along with Ireland, Malta, Slovenia claim to be ready to recognize Palestine. The same is the case with Norway, although Norway is not an EU member state.

　　This change in the positions of some Western countries towards Palestine and Israel is the direct result of the strong pressure exerted by the global popular campaign, in Western countries principally by youth and students, against the ongoing war crimes committed by Israeli army in Gaza. 

　　This new initiative by some EU countries will challenge the position so far by the EU as a solid bloc on the issue, which has been to wait for a general solution, including Israel, through the Oslo Accords framework. It shows that a growing number of Western countries have given up on the Oslo Accords, steadily undermined by Israel, and are aiming to push for moving ahead with recognition strengthening the rights of the Palestinian people and exposing the expanding colonization by Israel of the West Bank. 

　　This is a new decisive step in the right direction, increasing the pressure on the EU, which should be accompanied by a strong pressure for imposing sanctions on Israel, boycott, or as a minimum the suspension of tthe EU association agreement with Israel, including the preferential trade agreement as long as Israel violates international law. 

　　The European Left calls for a just solution to the conflict, to be initiated by a total withdrawal of Israel from the occupied territories in keeping with UN resolutions. 

　　Editor: Zhong Yao  LiuTingting

　　From:https://www.european-left.org/recognition-of-palestinian-state/