Pro-Palestinian efforts in Europe may not immediately lead to recognition of the State of Palestine, but they are ultimately important for the fate of thousands of Palestinians suffering from the Israeli occupation.   

Among the efforts is a bill to recognize the state in a Thursday session of the Norwegian parliament.

The bill, proposed by the Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti), is not expected to be passed as the majority of the MPs are opposed to it, the party’s Baard Vegar Solhjell told Press TV.

It, however, sparks a debate and gives momentum to the recognition campaign, Solhjell noted.

It also offers credible reasons in favor of the recognition, arguing that Palestine has a permanent population, and its 1967 borders are recognized by several UN resolutions. Therefore, it fulfills all requirements for statehood as outlined in the UN Charter.

The only missing aspect is the lack of full autonomy on the side of a Palestinian government, which is a consequence of the illegal Israeli occupation and should not be a reason for depriving Palestinians from their right to statehood, the bill proposes, according to Press TV’s correspondent in the Norwegian capital Oslo.

People back pro-Palestine bill

A day ahead of the parliament session, hundreds of members of the civil society and pro-Palestine organizations gathered outside the Norwegian parliament calling on the government to recognize Palestine.

The recognition of Palestine can give it an upper hand in the so-called peace process in the region, Liv Toerres from the Norwegian labor movement's humanitarian organization Norwegian People's Aid told the crowd.

The Palestinian ambassador to Norway, Amro Alhouran, said in his address that the Oslo Accords had promised a Palestinian state within five years after the agreement, which makes it 17 years too late for Norway to recognize the Palestinian state.

Palestinians are seeking to create an independent state on the territories of the West Bank, East al-Quds (Jerusalem), and the Gaza Strip and are demanding that Israel withdraw from the occupied Palestinian territories. Israel, however, has refused to return to the 1967 borders and is unwilling to discuss the issue of al-Quds.

On November 29, 2012, the 193-member United Nations General Assembly voted to upgrade Palestine’s status to non-member observer state.

RN/NT/AS/MHB