Palestinian Prime Minister Rami al-Hamdallah on Tuesday called on the European Union to recognize the Palestinian state as a practical step to save the two-state solution. Brazilian President-elect Jair Paulsonaro said he intends to transfer his country's embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to occupied Jerusalem.
During his meeting in Ramallah with the presence of the European Union Representative to Palestine, Ralf Trav, he praised the continued European support for Palestine at all levels.
He also praised the «European Parliament's recent vote against the proposal to reduce European aid to the education sector in Palestine, in addition to the adoption of the Parliament at the same time, a resolution calling for additional European assistance to UNRWA» worth 22 million euros ».
He reviewed the results of the meeting of the Palestinian Central Council a few days ago, in addition to what the government is doing towards the Gaza Strip, "especially in terms of commitment to provide services, spending $ 96 million per month, and continue efforts to achieve reconciliation and end the division.
Al-Hamdallah briefed the EU representatives on "the ongoing Israeli violations against the Palestinian people and the settlement expansion in the West Bank and Jerusalem, the latest of which was the announcement of the construction of thousands of settlement units in Ma'aleh Adumim settlement and the construction of new units in the heart of Hebron."
He called on the European Union to "intervene urgently to stop these violations, through which Israel seeks to undermine the two-state solution and opportunities for peace."
He called on European Union countries to support projects in areas called "C", which constitute 61% of the West Bank, and pressure on Israel to enable Palestinians to invest in these areas to support the Palestinian economy.
He also discussed with the European Union representatives the efforts and achievements of the government, despite the staggering financial crisis it is experiencing, due to a 71% drop in external support, as well as efforts and efforts by the government to provide support for Jerusalem hospitals.
In this context, he called on the European Union to support hospitals in Jerusalem and to intervene urgently to pressure Israel to reverse its decision to deduct the allocations of Palestinian dead and prisoners from Palestinian tax funds.
On the other hand, the Brazilian-elected president told an Israeli newspaper that he intended to transfer his country's embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
If the president-elect does so, Brazil will be the third country to move its embassy to Jerusalem after Guatemala and the United States, whose controversial decision to decades of US diplomacy has angered the Palestinians.
In response to a question by Israel Hayom about his intention to transfer the embassy to Jerusalem, which he expressed during his election campaign, Polsonaro said that Israel should be free to choose its capital.
An official in the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the latter would probably attend the inauguration of the Brazilian president in January.