PLO Executive Committee Member Hanan Ashrawi and incoming German Representative Christian Clages at the PLO Headquarters in Ramallah. (Photo courtesy of Ashrawi’s office)

RAMALLAH, Thursday, November 1, 2018 (WAFA) – Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee Member Hanan Ashrawi Thursday urged the European Union, particularly Germany, to recognize Palestine on the 1967 lines with East Jerusalem as its capital.

"If Germany is committed to the two-state solution and the chances for peace and stability, it should recognize the State of Palestine in the immediate future," Ashrawi, who heads the PLO’s Department of Public Diplomacy and Policy, said during a meeting with the new German Representative to Palestine, Christian Clages.

Ashrawi met Clages at the PLO Headquarters in Ramallah and welcomed him to Palestine. Clages was accompanied by the First Secretary for Political Affairs at the German Representative Office, Josef Hinterseher.

Ashrawi expressed her appreciation to the German government for its continued backing of the Palestinian cause in the international arena and its support for Palestinian human rights.

The discussion focused on the latest political and regional developments and their impact on Palestine.

In that context, Ashrawi pointed out how the current US administration’s “irresponsible and dangerous moves are antithetical to a just peace and have enabled Israel to implement its unilateral policies that are in direct violation of international law and conventions, particularly on the issue of settlements and the illegal annexation of Jerusalem,” according to a press release by Ashrawi’s office.

She urged the international community, including the European Union and Germany, to play a decisive political role to hold Israel accountable for its egregious violations, to work actively to end the military occupation and to ensure the achievement of a sovereign and independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

She also asked her guest to press for a German recognition of the State of Palestine:

In addition to reviewing Palestinian-German relations and their commitment to enhancing relations between the two countries, both parties discussed Ashrawi’s trip to Berlin last month.

The meeting also included an assessment of the internal situation in Palestine and the need for reconciliation, as well as the revitalization of democratic institutions and practices. In that context, they both addressed the resolutions of the PLO Central Council meeting, including future steps and means of implementation.

M.K.