European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced the establishment of a donor group for Palestine. She made the statement during her speech at the International Conference on the Peaceful Settlement of the Palestine Question, reports The WP Times.
Von der Leyen emphasised that only Israelis and Palestinians can determine the next steps towards peace. She argued that a realistic plan must be based on the two-state principle – “with a secure Israel, a viable Palestinian state, and the elimination of Hamas.”
“Any future Palestinian state must also be economically viable. This can only be achieved with the support of Palestine’s neighbours. We Europeans will create a special instrument for the reconstruction of Gaza – in coordination with other donors’ efforts. Gaza must be rebuilt. The Palestinian economy must be restarted. And I invite all of you to join these efforts to make it happen,” she said.
The Commission President described Europe as the “lifeline of the Palestinian administration”, which has already provided an “unprecedented financial package worth €1.6 billion.” She added: “But since the survival of the Palestinian administration itself is at stake, we must all do more.”
Background
On 21 September, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Portugal officially recognised the State of Palestine. It was the first time that G7 members had taken such a step. France followed on 22 September.
Further steps towards establishing diplomatic relations and opening embassies will be considered once Palestine “makes progress in fulfilling its reform commitments.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that he would not allow the creation of a Palestinian state, describing international recognition as a “reward for terrorists.” Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that recognition “does not promote peace but rather destabilises the region further and undermines the chances of achieving a future settlement.”
Meanwhile, Israel’s Minister for National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, pledged to raise the issue of annexing the West Bank at the next cabinet meeting.
Back in July, 15 countries – including France, Spain and Norway – had already declared their intention to recognise Palestinian independence. Later, the UK and Belgium signalled similar plans. Ukraine recognised Palestine in 1988 and has consistently supported the two-state solution in the Middle East – with one Israeli and one Arab state.
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