Germany is not yet ready to advocate full recognition of a Palestinian state and continues to support the principle of “two states for two peoples”. The statement was made on Tuesday, August 16, in Berlin, by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, after a meeting with the head of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), Mahmoud Abbas. At the same time, Scholz rejected Abbas’ demand that the European Union and the United Nations recognize the Palestinian territories as an independent state.

The ANP currently has observer status with the UN, and “this is not the time to change this situation”, said the chancellor. All subsequent steps, he said, must be based on a decision to be made during negotiations with Israel. In turn, Abbas accused Israel of preventing this for too long. He promised to make another attempt to get the recognition of a Palestinian state by the United Nations.

Furthermore, Mahmoud Abbas expressed disappointment that the United States, after the visit of President Joe Biden, has not come up with any new initiatives to resolve the situation in the Middle East. “We are still waiting for words to be followed by practical steps,” he said, referring to Biden, who also spoke out in support of the “two states for two peoples” principle.

“Two States for Two Peoples”

The idea of ​​”two states for two peoples” was first formulated in the report of the Royal Palestine Commission under the leadership of the British Lord William Peel. This commission was convened by the British government because Britain ruled Palestine from 1922 to 1947 under a League of Nations mandate. In a report submitted on July 7, 1937, it was proposed to divide Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state.

This plan was constantly discussed. After the Six-Day War in 1967, during which Israel occupied the West Bank and Jerusalem, there seemed to be no room for a “two-state” concept. The plan received a new impetus at the beginning of the new millennium, with the approval of both Israelis and Palestinians. However, as the construction of Jewish settlements in the Occupied Territories continued, the Palestinians’ attitude towards this project worsened.