BICOM

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will make a visit to the UK and France next week. Sources close to the prime minister say that Netanyahu will focus his efforts on persuading his European counterparts to support a return to direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. Netanyahu will ask the European leaders not to support a Palestinian plan for a unilateral declaration of statehood in September.

The timing of the trip comes as Palestinian leaders are seeking European support for their plans to secure a UN General Assembly resolution in September, endorsing their claim to statehood on the 1967 borders. Israel is trying to persuade European leaders not to back this move, which they argue is an attempt to avoid negotiations that are necessary for real peace. Whilst any Palestinian backed motions is likely to pass in the General Assembly with the support of Arab and Islamic states and the Non-Aligned Movement, the support of European states is seen as important for its legitimacy.

Britain, France and Germany have been pushing for terms of reference for a renewal of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations to be established by the Quartet, but have not yet come to a unified position about a UN resolution in September. Chancellor Merkel of Germany has come out in opposition of any unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state. However, French Ambassador Gerard Araud recently said in a UN Security Council debate that ‘Recognition of the state of Palestine is one of the options which France is considering.’ According to British officials, the UK is still considering the options regarding September, but the UK’s priority is to see a swift return to negotiations.

The United States has consistently opposed attempts to bypass the negotiation process, and has argued that dealing with the issue at the UN will make a negotiated agreement harder to achieve.