Chamber recognises State of Palestine

The Federal Parliament has approved the resolution recognising the State of Palestine and separated this recognition from the goodwill of one of the parties involved. “An important yet unnoticed step,” says N-VA MP Peter De Roover, one of the proponents of the resolution. “This resolution prevents both idle obscurities and posturing in the Chamber of Representatives. Hopefully, it will have a snowball effect and contribute to long-term peace in the Middle East.”

It is important to note that the resolution emphasises responsibilities on both the Israeli and Palestinian side, and that it ties into a broader European context. In this connection, De Roover feels that sending the same signal is much more effective. “We are more interested in workable solutions than in symbolism. While the opposition continues to focus on the ‘what’ aspects, the majority parties are daring to take on the more difficult ‘how’ aspects.”

De Roover blames the opposition for letting the chance go by to have the entire Chamber take a clear step forward. “They are misusing the theme so as to point a finger and claim the Great Moral High Ground for domestic gain.”

Europe as leader
The EU context was very important for the N-VA. After all, history shows that European decisions made jointly are often followed by other countries, such as the USA. An example of this is Palestine’s status as a non-member observer state at the UN. “Here, we as the European Union were pioneers. We wanted to continue down this path,” adds De Roover. It is up to the government to implement this resolution at the most diplomatically useful and opportune moment.

Don’t play into extremists’ hands
The recognition of the State of Palestine has been a thorny and sensitive issue for many years. It is a playing field full of distrust and inequality: Israel is recognised, and Palestine isn’t. “Empathy and prudence are essential here. We must take care that we encourage the peace process instead of blocking it through undisciplined intervention. The resolution had to be carefully formulated so as not to play into extremists’ hands on either side. We have succeeded in this regard” states De Roover.