Germany rules out near-term Palestine recognition
Photo: Germany has no plans to recognize a Palestinian state (Getty Images)
Germany has no immediate plans to recognise a Palestinian state, The Guardian reports.
An anonymous German government spokesperson stresses that Germany has no short-term plans to recognize a Palestinian state.
He explains that this morning, Germany was monitoring the reaction of other major European countries to France's plans to recognize Palestine, which were announced last night by President Emmanuel Macron.
The spokesperson also noted that "the priority now is to take long-overdue steps towards two-state solution," promising to "increase pressure if progress is not made."
France recognizes Palestine
On Thursday, July 24, Macron announced France's intention to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned such intentions by Paris.
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is under pressure from his government and Macron to recognize the independence of Palestine.
The United States, in turn, today strongly rejected the French president's plan to recognize a Palestinian state.
Palestine is a region in the Middle East, divided into two parts - the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
The West Bank is a hilly area located west of the Jordan River. The Gaza Strip is a coastal area located south of the West Bank.
Palestine is an independent and partially recognized state. Its independence has been recognized by 139 of the 193 UN member states.
Norway, Spain, and Ireland have recognized Palestine as a state. Armenia later followed suit.
