The European Parliament said it recognized the right of Palestinians to protect their land. The statement was made as part of a European Parliament resolution on Dec. 21 on hopes for a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine. “Israelis and Palestinians alike have the right to live in security; and this includes the right to protect its territory and defend legitimate security interests,” the statement said.
The Israeli government has built dozens of illegal settlements in the West Bank over the past few decades, seen as an attempt to annex the occupied Palestinian territories. According to the resolution, the European Union reiterated its commitment to support the two-state solution “where two sovereign, democratic states live side by side in peace and security is guaranteed, with Jerusalem as the capital of both states.” Yet, a two-state solution appears increasingly difficult to implement on the ground, as Israel more than doubles the number of settlers living in the occupied West Bank, which is recognized as Palestinian land under international law.
A similar resolution was passed by the UN
On Dec. 20, the United Nations General Assembly adopted by a majority vote a resolution affirming the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination. Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said that the majority adoption by the UN General Assembly of a resolution supporting the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination is nothing more than confirmation of the justice of the Palestinian cause and the failure of the Israeli occupation entity.
Arabnews.com
