Fragile Truce
The ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, that took effect on Wednesday morning, marks a significant turning point in a region long tormented by cycles of violence.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Friday that his government has no plans to officially recognise a Palestinian state.
There is “no reason” to recognise the Palestinian Authority (PA) as a separate state, Scholz said on Friday at a press conference alongside Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro.
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“There is no clarity about the territory of the state, about all other issues related to it,” Scholz said. He suggested that matters were “not yet that far.”
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Scholz argued that “a negotiated solution between Israel and the Palestinians that amounts to a two-state solution” with a Palestinian Authority responsible for both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip is needed instead.
“But we’re still a long way off that,” Scholz said.
What is important now is “to achieve a long-term ceasefire” and “for all parties to commit to the two-state solution,” Scholz said.
Ireland, Spain and Norway all announced plans to formally recognise a Palestinian state by the end of the month, a move that was met with fury from the right-wing government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Montenegro said that Portugal will not be taking this step for the time being, although he noted that his country had voted in favour of recognising Palestine as a full member of the United Nations General Assembly.
Scholz on Friday said that it has become clear in recent weeks that Arab countries are working hard to ensure security in the Middle East region, which the German chancellor contended should give hope for a possible two-state solution in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
However, a path of “symbolic recognition of statehood” would not lead things any further, Scholz said.
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