French Senate Backs Non-Binding Resolution on Palestine’s Recognition

PARIS, December 11 (Sputnik) – The French Senate, the country’s upper parliamentary house, backed a non-binding resolution, recognizing Palestinian Authority as a sovereign state on Thursday, voting 154 for and 146 against the resolution.

Early in December, France’s National Assembly, lower house of the national parliament, spoke in favor of the recognition of Palestinian sovereignty, voting 339 for and 151 against.

In November, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said that if the attempt of a negotiated settlement failed, France was ready to recognize Palestine as an independent state.

On Wednesday, the Irish parliament approved a non-binding resolution to recognize the Palestinian Authority as an independent state. The resolution addresses the Irish government, urging it to consider the formal recognition of Palestinian sovereignty, following similar motions by Spanish, British and French lawmakers.

The State of Palestine was proclaimed by the Palestine National Council on November 15, 1988, claiming the territories occupied by Israel after the Six-Day War in 1967, including West Bank with East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.

In November, 2012, the Palestinian Authority was granted non-member observer state status at the United Nations. The UN acknowledged the need to grant Palestinians the right to sovereignty over the Israeli-occupied territories.

Currently the Palestinian Authority is recognized by 135 countries as a sovereign state. On October 30, Sweden became the 135th country to recognize Palestine, and the first EU member to do so.