"Mr. President, rise to the challenge and do not miss your rendez-vous with the history by immediately recognizing the state of Palestine," the joint letter, carried by Le Journal du Dimanche, read.
The message, signed by 153 lawmakers, pointed to France’s role as mediator between Israel and the Palestinians. Its latest attempt to revive their dialogue on a two-state solution in January ended in an impasse.
"France must show its determination to break the deadlock in the conflict by solemnly reaffirming in the name of the inalienable right to self-determination that Palestinians are entitled to statehood," they stressed.
US President Donald Trump’s staunch support of Israel and his recent suggestion he might recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, despite its neutral status, has added a sense of urgency to the decades-old dispute on Palestine’s statehood.
