EU Parliament overwhelmingly votes in favour of the country Palestine

[Tender Branson]

Result:

498 Yes
  88 No
111 Abstentions
  54 Not present

The Austrian delegation (18 MEPs)

12 Yes (5x ÖVP, 5x SPÖ, 2x Greens)
  4 No (4x FPÖ)
  2 Abstentions (1x Greens, 1x NEOS)

Roll call here (page 69).

...

MEPs back Palestinian statehood bid

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http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-eu-30516523

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

So when do the EU accession talks with Palestine begin?

[Tender Branson]

The votes of our EU MEPs were quite a bit different today compared with the domestic party positions in the Austrian parliament:

Should Palestine by a sovereign country ?

ÖVP-EU: Yes, ÖVP-Austria: No
Greens-EU: 2-1 Yes, Greens-Austria: No
FPÖ-EU: No, FPÖ-Austria: No
SPÖ-EU: Yes, SPÖ-Austria: Yes
NEOS-EU: Abstain, NEOS-Austria: Yes
Team Stronach-Austria: unknown

[swl]

good

[Lief 🗽]

The Austrian Greens don't support Palestinian statehood? What kind of right-wing GINOs are they?!

[Vega]

Freedom Fighters.

[they don't love you like i love you]

I thought the FPO would be in favor but for the wrong reasons.

[Tender Branson]

The Austrian Greens don't support Palestinian statehood? What kind of right-wing GINOs are they?!

No, they do - in general. But they prefer to be a peace deal ahead of recognition, because they fear that otherwise it could further destabalize the situation there between ISR and PAL.

That's what I read out of their policy standpoint:

https://www.gruene.at/themen/aussenpolitik/palaestina-als-staat-anerkennen-eine-vermeint-lich-leicht-gestellte-frage

[Angel of Death]

The huge irony of all these (mostly symbolic) recognitions of Palestine is that they are coming now that a viable two-state solution is pretty much no longer possible.

[swl]

I don't think there is any irony in it. These 'recognitions' (remember only Sweden officially recognized Palestine so far) are happening because the likelihood of a two-state solution decreased.
Actors who are committed to it are using the leverage they have to increase this likelihood again.

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

Meanwhile, the European Union Court of Justice removed Hamas from their list of terror groups for "lack of evidence".

[MalaspinaGold]

Meanwhile, the European Union Court of Justice removed Hamas from their list of terror groups for "lack of evidence".

I'll quote what I said on facebook:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Edit: From what I understand, it's analogous to forgetting to Mirandize someone, except you get to try them over again for the same crimes.

[Velasco]

The Austrian Greens don't support Palestinian statehood? What kind of right-wing GINOs are they?!

No, they do - in general. But they prefer to be a peace deal ahead of recognition, because they fear that otherwise it could further destabalize the situation there between ISR and PAL.

That's the ultimate moderate hero stance. In fact, the EU Parliament didn't vote a full recognition. It's conditioned to a pace deal to please EPP. Given that progress in conversations is highly unlikely with the current Israeli administration, the usual consensus making in the EP has brought a declaration of good intentions which is of no use. Bibi won't care, give it for granted.

Meanwhile, the European Union Court of Justice removed Hamas from their list of terror groups for "lack of evidence".

I'll quote what I said on facebook:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Edit: From what I understand, it's analogous to forgetting to Mirandize someone, except you get to try them over again for the same crimes.

True. Hamas was defined as a terrorist organisation by the EU on a very weak basis. According to the judges, the definition was not based on events considered by the EU authorities, only on factual charges provided by the press and the internet.

[swl]

Tomorrow Jordan will submit a resolution at the UN in favor of a two-state solution. France will submit a more nuanced resolution with the same objective shortly after. These will be good opportunities to see where everyone stands.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

committed to it are using the leverage they have to increase this likelihood again.

It is more an issue of acting like they (and this applies not just to the EU mickey mouse parliament, but to other legislatures that have passed similar votes) have leverage. If there is an improvement in the general situation in the future, it is unlikely to be caused by anything politicians elsewhere do (and if thats not the case, it won't be these politicians).

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

The huge irony of all these (mostly symbolic) recognitions of Palestine is that they are coming now that a viable two-state solution is pretty much no longer possible.

It's doubtful it ever was, and it's been more than a decade since the possibility was something more than wishful thinking.

[Vosem]

Horrific.

[morgieb]

Probably doesn't mean anything as the EU was pro-two state solution anyway, but still good news.

I don't see why people are even opposed to Palestine being a country. I mean, it was a soverign state before WWII.

[MalaspinaGold]

The Austrian Greens don't support Palestinian statehood? What kind of right-wing GINOs are they?!

No, they do - in general. But they prefer to be a peace deal ahead of recognition, because they fear that otherwise it could further destabalize the situation there between ISR and PAL.

That's the ultimate moderate hero stance. In fact, the EU Parliament didn't vote a full recognition. It's conditioned to a pace deal to please EPP. Given that progress in conversations is highly unlikely with the current Israeli administration, the usual consensus making in the EP has brought a declaration of good intentions which is of no use. Bibi won't care, give it for granted.

Meanwhile, the European Union Court of Justice removed Hamas from their list of terror groups for "lack of evidence".

I'll quote what I said on facebook:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Edit: From what I understand, it's analogous to forgetting to Mirandize someone, except you get to try them over again for the same crimes.

True. Hamas was defined as a terrorist organisation by the EU on a very weak basis. According to the judges, the definition was not based on events considered by the EU authorities, only on factual charges provided by the press and the internet.

It should be noted that at the same time many groups are conflicted on this as it can possibly result in a propaganda windfall for Bibi "standing up to the world", in the middle of an election season. If the US does veto the UNSC bid, it will be for that reason. It remains to be seen whether or not that was Grune's intention.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I don't see why people are even opposed to Palestine being a country. I mean, it was a soverign state before WWII.

Where did you hear that? What is currently the State of Israel and the Palestinian territories/State of Palestine/etc was a British imperial possession (officially as a Mandate on behalf of the League of Nations, but LOL) from the end of the First World War until the 1940s. Before then the area was part of the Ottoman Empire. Not that this has any bearing on the current political situation.

[njwes]

I still think a 3-state solution is the only viable one, but I could never see anyone convincing Egypt to take Gaza. Jordan taking the West Bank, maybe.

[Wake Me Up When The Hard Border Ends]

Ugh... another step away from direct negotiations between the Israeli and Palestinian bodies, and more meddling by Brussels. Not a fan of the removal of Hamas as a terror group either.

On another note, how did the British EU delegation vote?

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

I still think a 3-state solution is the only viable one, but I could never see anyone convincing Egypt to take Gaza. Jordan taking the West Bank, maybe.

No one wants a 3-state solution except Americans who know nothing about Arabs.

[MalaspinaGold]

I still think a 3-state solution is the only viable one, but I could never see anyone convincing Egypt to take Gaza. Jordan taking the West Bank, maybe.

No one wants a 3-state solution except Americans who know nothing about Arabs.

No one wants a one state except right wingers and macbook marxists (actual Israeli communists were the first to devise and support the two-state)

[njwes]

I still think a 3-state solution is the only viable one, but I could never see anyone convincing Egypt to take Gaza. Jordan taking the West Bank, maybe.

No one wants a 3-state solution except Americans who know nothing about Arabs.

I'm very aware: I said most viable, not most popular.

Similarly, I'd say that even though very few people claim to "want" large territory transfers between Israel and Palestine, I think that would have to be an integral part of any viable two-state solution.