French lawmakers to debate Palestinian statehood resolution

MP debate comes ahead of Tuesday's slated vote on the symbolic motion similar those those already passed by British, Irish and Spanish parliaments.

By JPOST.COM STAFF

NOVEMBER 28, 2014 09:34

France's National Assembly (photo credit: Wikimedia Commons) — France's National Assembly

(photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)

French parliamentarians on Friday were set to debate a non-binding resolution on the recognition of Palestinian statehood ahead of Tuesday's slated vote on the symbolic maneuver.

The resolution brought by France's ruling Socialist Party follows in stride of the recent trend of European parliaments growing frustrated with the stagnant Middle East peace process and recommending their governments recognize a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

The text of the draft resolution "invites the French government to use the recognition of the state of Palestine as an instrument to gain a definitive resolution of the conflict"

Earlier this week, former French president and future presidential hopeful Nicolas Sarkozy came out against the vote on the non-binding motion on unilateral state recognition.

British, Irish and Spanish lawmakers have already voted in favor of resolutions in their parliaments similar to the one France's lower house of parliament is set to vote on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned the trend of parliamentary recommendations to recognize Palestinian statehood in Europe as a "big mistake for peace."

On Thursday night, French President Francois Hollande said he wished to host an international conference on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Other parliaments expected to vote on similar resolutions in the coming weeks include the Danish, Italian, Slovenian and Portuguese legislatures.

Herb Keinon contributed to this report.