EU Parliament calls for resolution of Palestine question within a year

The European Parliament (EP) has called Palestine''s bid for statehood "legitimate" in a resolution adopted in the French city of Strasbourg on Thursday, and said that a solution should be found within a year. The EP believes, however, that Palestinian statehood should result from negotiations, during the current UN General Assembly session. "The right of Palestinians to self-determination and to have their own state is unquestionable, as is the right of Israel to exist within safe borders," said the resolution, adopted by a show of hands. The EU Parliament reiterated its strong support for the two-state solution on the basis of the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as capital of both states, and stressed that direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians should resume without delay. The resolution underlines that "no changes to the pre-1967 borders, including with regard to Jerusalem, other than those agreed by the parties should be accepted." The resolution called for a common EU position on the Palestinian request for statehood and to avoid divisions among EU Member States. European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek in a statement after the vote said "to be effective, the establishment of a viable Palestinian state must be the outcome of a mutual and comprehensive peace agreement." "The bid for recognition by the Palestinian Authority must hence lead to the immediate re-launch of peace talks, within a defined timeframe, as proposed by the Quartet on 23 September," he said. Buzek called upon all EU Member States to rally behind a common position on Palestine. The resolution calls on Israel to stop all construction and extension of Jewish settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.