Palestinian envoy urges EU to take realistic stance toward Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Brussels, May 16 (RHC)-- Palestinian Ambassador to the European Union (EU) has called on Brussels to take a more "realistic" approach toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying Europe bears great responsibility to resolve the situation.

Abdalrahim Alfarra told Russia’s Sputnik news agency that the EU needs to “take a more realistic stance” as it “bears great responsibility” over the ongoing conflict between the Palestinians and the occupying regime.  “It is the EU that supports the settlement of the conflict based on the existence of two states, does not recognize any changes in the borders that existed before 1967, does not accept changes in Jerusalem [al-Quds],” he said.

If EU member states refuse to recognize the state of Palestine, Alfarra warned, it will be very difficult to reach a settlement based on a two-state solution.

Citing mass demonstrations that have been held in several European countries in support of the Palestinians, Alfarra said this is an indication of the stance of the European people.  Israel's deadly bombardment of the Gaza Strip sparked protests across the continent, but police clashed with protesters in many cities, including Paris, which has already banned the rallies.

Israeli aerial assaults have killed at least 174 people, including 47 children and 29 women, in Gaza over the past week and wounded nearly 1,000 others.  

Lebanese lawmaker Jamil al-Sayyed criticized European governments for preventing their citizens from holding pro-Palestine rallies.  In a post on social media on Sunday, he said, “Certain European governments prevented demonstrations in support of Palestine, and some of them even backed Israel and raised its flag above state buildings!”

“It shows shortcomings in these governments that left the Jews alone during the Nazi era when the Arabs sheltered them. Anti-Semitism is made in Europe,” Lebanon's online newspaper el-Nashra quoted the Lebanese lawmaker as saying.  He further said that “it is not acceptable” for European governments “to wash your sins with the blood of the Arabs only to appease Israel.”