Former Italy parliament speaker calls on Rome to recognize Palestinian state

Rome: Italy’s former president of the lower house of parliament on Friday called on the government to recognize a Palestinian state.

“The Italian parliament had already voted a motion in this direction in 2015: a motion after which no action was taken. What is [Italian Premier Giorgia] Meloni’s government waiting for? There isn’t a better moment than this one to recognize the state of Palestine,” Laura Boldrini said in an interview with Italian daily l’Unita.

Boldrini, who is now chairwoman of the human rights committee of the Italian parliament, said Rome should follow the lead of other governments which have recently recognized a Palestinian state.

This week, Spain, Norway and Ireland announced that they will recognize Palestine as a state on May 28, and urged other European states to follow their lead.

About 144 of the 193 UN member states recognize Palestine as a state, including Russia, China and India. But only a few EU members do so, such as Sweden and Cyprus. Other European nations, including Malta and Slovenia, are considering the recognition.

Rome has so far expressed support for a two-state solution to the historic conflict between Israel and Palestine, but has not announced move to recognize a Palestinian state.

“With what credibility [Foreign Minister Antonio] Tajani and Meloni go on saying ‘two people-two states’ if neither at Italian nor international level steps are made towards the recognition of the second state, the state of Palestine?” said Boldrini.