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Why the UN Vote Was Not Worth the Hysteria

(Jewish Chronicle-UK) Dermot Kehoe - The Palestinian Authority would like us to believe that their campaign to have Palestine recognized as a state without an agreement with Israel is roaring into life. But a closer look at the motion passed in the EU parliament this week tells a different story. Rather than recognizing Palestine, or calling on EU member states to do so, the resolution "supports in principle recognition of Palestinian statehood and the two-state solution, and believes these should go hand in hand with the development of peace talks, which should be advanced." Similarly, the resolution in Spain last month linked recognition of Palestine to a negotiated solution with Israel. There are many in Europe who appreciate that an arrangement that turns the West Bank into another Gaza - run by violent Islamist extremists committed to war against Israel - would be a catastrophe not only for Israel but for the Middle East and Europe. British Prime Minister David Cameron restated this week: "We only recognize the state of Palestine when there is a genuine two-state solution - and Israel's future is truly secure." In Brussels there is widespread appreciation that a solution cannot be achieved by international resolutions, whether in European parliaments or in the UN Security Council. The writer is chief executive of BICOM - Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre.
2014-12-19 00:00:00
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