PARIS, January 24, 2018 (WAFA) – The municipality of Gennevilliers, a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, signed a decree on Tuesday recognizing the State of Palestine as an independent country.

Mayor of Gennevilliers, Patrice Leclerc, expressed hope to Palestine TV that French mayors adopt this initiative to push President Emmanuel Macron to recognize the State of Palestine.

“If all the French municipalities recognize Palestine like Gennevilliers, it means that all of France recognizes the Palestinian state,” he said.

“Since (US President) Donald Trump’s decision to move the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, the far-right Israeli government continued to build settlements and arrest Palestinians, including my Palestinian-French friend Salah Hammouri,” he said.

“France must adopt the initiative to recognize the Palestinian state with the rest of the European leaders. Sweden has recognized the Palestinian state, why not the other European countries also recognize Palestine? This will pressure Israel to embark on new negotiations with the Palestinians, and will prevent further erosion of Palestinian rights.”

M.N./M.K.