100 Members who reject Unilateral Recognition
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The America-Israel Friendship League (AIFL) commended more than 100 members of the European Parliament who signed a letter this week urging the European Union to reject a Palestinian bid for unilateral recognition of a state.
The letter, sent by 106 members of the European Parliament to the EU’s head of foreign affairs and security policy, Lady Catherine Ashton, as well as to representatives of the 27 EU member states, asked that they “discourage unilateral Palestinian efforts to attain UN recognition.”
“A unilateral move will not bring reconciliation; it will not bring stability; it will not bring peace. Rather, it will most likely fell the peace process for good,” said the letter.
The letter’s co-signatories, included Gabriele Albertini, chairman of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs who recognized that the Palestinians will be able to realize their goal of attaining statehood only by returning to the negotiating table with Israel.
PA leaders have refused to negotiate until Israel agrees to return to the indefensible 1949 Armistice lines with mutually-agreed land swaps which will be the basis for the talks and that all construction in Judea and Samaria (the “West Bank”), including the Jewish eastern neighborhoods of Jerusalem, stops.
The European parliamentarians’ letter was signed by members from the five largest political groups in the EU. Their party affiliations range from conservatives to liberals and socialists.
The AIFL also praised Jerzy Buzek, president of the EU Parliament, who said last month that a unilateral move by the PA towards statehood could be “dangerous.”
Like the 106 members of the European Parliament who signed this latest letter, Mr. Buzek said he “understood” the PA’s position on statehood, but added that it could complicate peace efforts.
“The AIFL thanks these European leaders for their steadfast support for peace in the Middle East,” said Kenneth Bialkin, Chairman and AIFL Executive Director Dr. Alex Grobman.
The added “support for a Palestinian Unilateral Declaration of Independence ignores the lack of legal or practical support for such an action and demonstrates a lack of friendship and support for Israel and its efforts to convince President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority to return to unconditional direct negotiations.”