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Wednesday, November 18, 2009
THE European Union yesterday joined the US in discouraging Palestinian intentions to seek international recognition of an independent state, urging instead a return to stalled peace talks with Israel.
"I don’t think we are there yet," Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt, whose country holds the EU’s rotating presidency, told reporters in Brussels.
"I would hope that we would be in a position to recognise a Palestinian state but there has to be one first, so I think it is somewhat premature," he said.
The Palestinians said earlier this week that they intended to ask the UN Security Council to recognise a state in a move analysts said was aimed at pressuring Israel amid floundering US efforts to revive peace negotiations.
On Monday chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat said his side had formally asked the EU, its biggest donor, for support.
But yesterday Europe joined Washington in saying that negotiations with Israel — currently stalled over the thorny issue of settlements — were the best way forward.
The United States, which has tried unsuccessfully for months to restart the talks suspended during the Gaza war at the turn of the year, said it was against any unilateral moves.
"We support the creation of a Palestinian state that is contiguous.... We are convinced that has to be achieved through negotiations between two parties," State Department spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters in Washington.
Yesterday, the sentiment was echoed in Europe.
EU external relations commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said the priority now should be "to really help the Americans bring both sides again to the table".
And French President Nicolas Sarkozy warned the sides faced an extremist backlash each day they delay resuming talks.
"The priority is to restart as soon as possible the peace process," Sarkozy told the Saudi daily Al-Riyad.
"It is urgent because the current deadlock is in the hands of extremists and each day the chance of peace is slipping away a little," he said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that "any unilateral action will undo the framework of past accords and lead to unilateral actions from Israel".
But a spokesman for president Mahmud Abbas said the Palestinians had no other choice but to seek the option.
"It’s Israel which is putting obstacles in the path of negotiations and not the Palestinian Authority," said Nabil Abu Rudeina.
"If Israel continues in its refusal to return to negotiations, we face no other choice than to turn to the international community to ask for its support, in particular the Security Council."
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