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Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/16/AR2011021602232.html
Palestinians Continue Pursuit of Unilateral Declaration through South America
(Washington Post) Juan Forero and Janine Zacharia - With peace talks with Israel frozen, the Palestinian Authority is now focusing on using the momentum from South America, where eight countries recognized Palestinian statehood in December and January, to win recognition in Europe. Palestinian diplomats contend that would provide a critical mass of support to propel the UN General Assembly to offer recognition later this year. "Our next target is Western Europe," said Nabil Shaath, who is in charge of foreign affairs for Abbas' Fatah party. In interviews, top Israeli diplomats played down the significance of the South American gestures, calling them largely symbolic. Far from pressuring Prime Minister Netanyahu's government, they said, the recognitions instead demonstrated that the Palestinians were foregoing peace talks. About 100 countries around the world have recognized an independent Palestinian state, most in 1980s before the Oslo accords.