The presentation by the PNA of a resolution for recognition of non-member status “runs the risk of polarizing the debate in the next UN General Assembly and of causing friction of others of the region’s important issues”. Minister Giulio Terzi commented during a meeting in Ramallah with Palestinian President Riyadh Maliki, expressing his own concerns regarding the Palestinian Authority’s decision.
“My concerns”, Terzi added, “are not enough to make the Palestinian government reconsider their timing on these decisions”, assuring his counterpart that the initiative would, in any case, be evaluated by the European partners “with an earnest and friendly attitude”. For his part, Maliki underscored his “feeling obligated to take this initiative to the UN in the absence of developments in peace talks” with Israel. Terzi then reiterated “our government’s strong conviction” that dialogue with Israel must be relaunched in order to resume the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
“We are willing”, Terzi continued, “as the Italian government and, I believe, as the European Union as a whole, to fully examine the specific type of initiative and the resolution’s content. There are some concerns”, the minister underscored, “that I wanted to express once again today, about the fact that this initiative could, in reality, not be decisive in relaunching peace process negotiations between the two parties, between the Israelis and the Palestinians, but instead could work in reverse. This is a question that has been on the international table for many months now”, Terzi concluded, “and one it was hoped may not have been pursued”.
