More than 150 French lawmakers signed an open letter on Sunday urging outgoing President Francois Hollande to officially recognize the Palestinian Territories as a state.
The move comes during a period of renewed international determination to revive the two-state solution, after the last talks brokered by then US secretary of state, John Kerry, collapsed back in 2014, France24 reported.
“France must demonstrate its willingness to overcome the stalemate in this conflict by solemnly reaffirming, in the name of the inalienable right to self-determination, that the Palestinian people are entitled to a state,” Socialist Party deputy, Gilbert Roger, wrote in the letter lawmakers addressed to the French president.
France has long supported a two-state solution and the letter was signed by politicians from across the political spectrum.
Earlier this year, French ambassadors also underscored their support for a Palestinian state in another open letter, stating that it would be in accordance with France’s principle of defending human rights.
The ambassadors’ letter was published ahead of the high-profile Middle East peace summit held in Paris on January 15, during which various attendees reiterated their support for a two-state solution.
The two-state solution has long been a cornerstone of US and international policy, but on February 15, Donald Trump said that it was not the only response, breaking with a two-decade-old US commitment.
Trump’s about face was met with hostility from other world powers, with President Francois Hollande saying last Wednesday that France remained committed to a two-state solution.
But MPs are now denouncing the fact that while France advocates a two-state solution, it has still not recognized the Palestinian Territories as a state.
Caption: A Palestinian protester waves a flag in front of Israeli security on May 13, 2016, in the West Bank, Palestine. (File Photo)
