Abbas to seek statehood recognition from France

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will ask French President Francois Hollande to recognize ‘Palestine’ as a state, as part of a broader effort to drum up international support for a new political initiative to end the decades-old Israeli-Arab conflict.

 

PA Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki told the Ma’an news agency that the “current political climate” was better than ever before to push forward with the demands of the Palestinian people, adding that “now, more than ever,” the world was convinced that Israel was undermining the peace process with its expanded settlement activity.

 

As European countries were becoming more aware of the need to push the Palestinian cause to the forefront of the international debate, he said the PA was going to demand the UN take a “clear stance” to put an end to the “occupation.”

Read More: Abbas to seek statehood recognition from France during Paris visit.