Abbas urges Europe to recognize Palestine, while hosting the French President
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met with President Emmanuel Macron of France on Wednesday in the West Bank city of Ramallah
Ramallah-Palestine, 22st January 2020 (GNP) : Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met with President Emmanuel Macron of France on Wednesday in the West Bank city of Ramallah, where they discussed the latest developments in the peace process and regional affairs. Abbas renewed a call for Europe to recognize the State of Palestine with Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital. “We wish that the European states — that believe in the two-state solution — and France will recognize the State of Palestine along 1967 borders with East Jerusalem [al-Quds] as its capital,” said Abbas. He added that the recognition of Palestine would be “a true path to saving the French- and European-backed two-state solution and would give hope to our people that achieving peace and stability is possible”. The French President, responded saying that Paris would continue its support to the Palestinian people in building their institutions and economy. Israel occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem al-Quds during the Six-Day War in 1967. It later annexed East Jerusalem al-Quds, a move not recognized by the international community. In 2018, Jerusalem al-Quds was announced as Israel’s new capital. Since the 1940s, Jerusalem al-Quds remains at the heart of the decades-long Israeli–Palestinian conflict. (GNP)