MK stops int'l body from supporting Palestinian state bid

Whbee says he was able to prevent EUROMED motion supporting statehood plan because some ME countries were absent from forum.

By LAHAV HARKOV
Majallie Whbee_311 (photo credit: Courtesy)
Majallie Whbee_311
(photo credit: Courtesy)
The European Union-sponsored Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (EUROMED) canceled a vote in Barcelona on Sunday on a motion to support a unilateral declaration of Palestinian statehood.
EUROMED, formerly known as the Barcelona Process, is one of the few frameworks in which Israel has contact with Arab countries such as Syria and Lebanon. The forum also includes 240 European Parliament members from 27 EU member states.
RELATED:'We recognize Israel, they should recognize Palestine'Palestinian efforts for sovereignty not limited to the UNAbbas: World not united in support of Palestinian UN bid
Deputy Knesset Speaker Majallie Whbee (Kadima) said he stopped the forum from voting to approve the declaration, because representatives from Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Syria and Lebanon were absent, meaning that EUROMED lacked the quorum needed for a vote.
Whbee said he prevented the EUROMED vote, which was likely to have an outcome “that would have been very uncomfortable for Israel.”
“The forum’s next conference is in October, after the date when the Palestinian Authority intends to unilaterally declare statehood,” he said.
Israel is a full member of EUROMED, with 12 seats in three permanent committees: The Political-Diplomatic Committee, the Economics Committee and the Culture Committee.