Palestine Recognition to Leave Relations With Israel Unaffected - Syriza

A member of the ruling Greek Syriza party, Mustafa Mustafa said that Syriza's Commission on Foreign Affairs is convinced in the need for soonest resolution of the Palestinian problem through the creation of an independent Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem and its recognition by other countries.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Recognition of an independent Palestinian state should not necessarily lead to a deterioration in relations with Israel, a member of the ruling Greek Syriza party, Mustafa Mustafa, told Sputnik Friday.

Earlier in the day, local media reported that Greek lawmakers are preparing a possible vote to recognize the state of Palestine within the 1967 borders, to be held in the coming months.

"Syriza's Commission on Foreign Affairs is convinced in the need for soonest resolution of the Palestinian problem through the creation of an independent Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem and its recognition by other countries… This decision does not necessarily entail the deterioration of relations with Israel," Mustafa, one of the three lawmakers of Turkish origin in the Greek parliament, said.

The lawmaker stressed that Syriza maintains contacts and develops ties with Palestinian organizations but added that the timeframe for a decision by the government, foreign ministry and other ministries on Palestine is yet uncertain.

Palestine has sought recognition of its status as an independent state, comprising parts of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since the start of the Israeli occupation following the 1967 Six-Day War. Despite Israel's continued resistance to the initiative, a number of states, including eight members of the European Union, have in recent years recognized Palestinian statehood, alongside 135 of the 193 United Nations member states.

Russia has diplomatically recognized the State of Palestine.