European Parliament supports recognition of Palestinian state

Paris, Dec 17 (IANS/EFE) European Parliament came out in support of the European Union's(EU) recognition of Palestinian statehood by approving a resolution Wednesday drawn up by the major parliamentary groups.

A total of 498 members voted in support of the resolution, and 88 members voted against it, while 11 others abstained from voting.

The resolution stipulates that the European Parliament supports "in principle, the recognition of Palestinian statehood and the two-state solution, and believes these should go hand in hand with peace talks, which should make progress".

The resolution expressed the lawmakers' "grave concern" regarding the escalation of violence in the region, which they condemned "in the strongest terms".

The European Parliament warned specifically about "further escalation of violence involving holy sites could transform the Israel-Palestinian conflict into a religious conflict".

The resolution called on all political leaders on all sides to cooperate to defuse violent conflicts.

The members of parliament congratulated Mogherini on her initiative aiming to "bring together cross-party members of the European, Israeli and Palestinian parliaments to help advance an agenda for peace."

The European Parliament considers that the European Union "should assume its responsibility and become a genuine actor and facilitator in the Middle East peace process."

--IANS/EFE

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