A voting session at the French parliament | Etienne Laurent/EPA
Some 120 French Members of Parliament have co-signed a letter urging their president Emmanuel Macron to recognize the state of Palestine as a response to Israel’s impending plans to annex large part of the occupied West Bank, according to Palestinian news agency Wafa.
In their letter, the French parliamentarians urged the French president to move forward in order to preserve the two-state solution as the only solution that provides hope for achieving a durable peace in the region, and establishing a real Palestinian state and not just pantostans isolated from other.
The signatories called for the necessity to impose international sanctions on Israel if it implements its annexation plans, slamming such plans as a blatant violation of international law and a real danger to regional peace and security.
The letter called for a collective European recognition of the State of Palestine, adding that if such a move is not possible, France should unilaterally recognize the State of Palestine.
They reiterated their firm position that Israeli settlements violate the Charter of the United Nations and international law.
The parliamentarians warned that the Israeli government is profiting from the world's engagement in the anti-coronavirus battle in order to implement its settlement plans and impose a new fait accompli.