Arab States and European Countries Push for Full Recognition and UN Membership for Palestine

A report by Ahmad Abdallah, English adaptation by Nadine Sassine

Full Recognition of the State of Palestine.

This stance has been declared by Spain, Ireland, and Norway, joining eight other European countries that fully recognize the State of Palestine, namely Bulgaria, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, the administration of southern Cyprus, and Sweden. Several other European countries, such as Slovenia and Malta, are also considering this step.

This move coincides with the call made by Arab nations in the final statement of the Bahrain Summit to direct diplomatic missions in all Western countries to mobilize international support for the full recognition of the State of Palestine and its full membership in the United Nations. Currently, Palestine is a non-member observer state at the United Nations.

Adoption of the General Assembly resolution on May 10 does not change its status but affirms that it is eligible for membership in the organization and "should therefore be admitted as a member."

This initiative was part of the comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue that emerged from the Arab Summit in Bahrain. The announcement following the summit included Arab consensus on a comprehensive vision to solve the Palestinian issue, starting with the deployment of international forces in the occupied Palestinian territories, namely the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. This step would be the first on the path to a sustainable solution, which is the two-state solution.

Similar to the UNIFIL forces deployed along the Blue Line between southern Lebanon and northern occupied territories, the proposal includes deploying similar United Nations forces in the Palestinian territories. The Arab proposal is implementable and requires approval from the Security Council, which is responsible for issuing the decision to deploy these forces and defining their tasks.

These forces, which are meant to maintain peace in conflict zones, are international. They comprise volunteers, both civilian and non-civilian, including soldiers, police officers, and military officers committed to peace and assisting countries caught in conflicts and wars. They are recognized by their blue helmets, symbolizing peace.

If an agreement is reached to send these forces, they will remain in the occupied Palestinian territories until the proposed political solution is completed. This solution, supported by the twenty-two Arab member states of the Arab League whose leaders attended the Bahrain Summit, involves holding an international conference under the auspices of the United Nations to resolve the Palestinian issue based on the two-state solution. This solution has been advocated by most of the world in recent times, especially following international criticism of Israeli atrocities in the Gaza Strip.

All of the above forms a proposal agreed upon by the Arab states, in coordination with the Palestinian administration, with the aim of implementing this solution to bring the Palestinian issue and the region as a whole into a new, more peaceful phase.