Public opinion and civil society pressure on Germany to recognize an independent Palestinian state.

Public opinion and civil society pressure on Germany to recognize an independent Palestinian state.

The German website Deutsche Welle described Monday, September 22, as a defining moment at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, writing: France, Canada, Belgium intend to recognize Palestine as an independent state, and Britain is also likely to take steps in this direction. The goal is to pressure the Israeli regime to end the Gaza war and start a new peace process.

Among the 193 members of the UN, approximately 150 countries have recognized Palestine as an independent state.

But the United States is strongly opposed to the issue of recognizing Palestine, and the Israeli regime has also adopted the same procedure.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas believes that the recognition of Palestine by the aforementioned countries would be a victory for the Palestinians and a defeat for the Israeli regime, especially in the current situation and with the escalation of conflicts in Gaza.

Deutsche Welle wrote: The German government will not adopt such a position in the short term. “We will not join this plan,” said Friedrich Mertz, Chancellor of the Christian Democratic Union, during a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in August.

In his official statement, Mertz claimed: “We do not think that recognition of an independent Palestinian state can be achieved at this time. Recognition should be the last step in a peace process that leads to a two-state solution.”

Deutsche Welle wrote: “The problem is that a two-state solution is not achievable in the near future. The chances of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel have been reduced to zero since the start of the Gaza war.” Critics, therefore, argue that the German government has set this precondition to avoid deciding to recognize Palestine.