BICOM

European diplomats are attempting to persuade the Palestinian Authority to water down the statehood recognition resolution that it will bring to the UN in September, to ensure consensus EU support, senior diplomatic officials told the Jerusalem Post yesterday.

According to the officials, the UN resolution that European diplomats are advocating would recognise the right of a Palestinian state, that would live in peace and security alongside Israel, without outright recognising that such a state exists now. Such a resolution would not differ significantly from similar resolutions that have been passed by the General Assembly in the past. The Europeans are likely looking for a formula that would enable them to support the resolution as a block. Some EU countries, notably Germany and Italy, have expressed opposition to unilateral Palestinian steps in the UN, wheras others, including Ireland and Portugal, have been supportive.

A senior diplomatic official told the Jerusalem Post that while the Palestinians are eager to get full EU support, they would not be willing to water down the proposal to the degree necessary.

In a separate development, Israel Hayom reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Monday that he had reached a written agreement with the Obama administration according to which Israel would not be required to return to the 1967 borders in any future peace deal with the Palestinians. In addition, any future peace talks would take into account established ‘realities on the ground’ – a term generally used in reference to Israel’s large settlement blocs of Ariel, Maale Adumim and Gush Etzion.