Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met with EU top politicians in Brussels on Wednesday to find support for his cause of having European countries recognize a Palestinian state and to discuss a possible resumption of peace negotiations with Israel.Abbas first met EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, followed by talks with EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini.Palestinians seek statehood in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, with east Jerusalem as their capital. They have sought to side-step stalled peace talks by lobbying foreign powers to recognize their sovereignty claim.Most western European countries have yet to give official recognition, as has the United States, although the UN General Assembly approved de facto recognition in 2012. A total of 135 countries recognize Palestine, including several east European nations that did so before they joined the EU.
