Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn is promoting an initiative for all members of the European Union to recognize a Palestinian Authority state, according to Channel 13 News.
Senior European officials claim the initiative is a response to the recent United States statement that Jewish communities beyond the 1949 Armistice Line are not in conflict with international law. Asselborn wrote in a letter that "recognizing Palestine as a state will not be a favor or a blank check, but recognition of the Palestinian people's right to a state of their own. Such a rule would not be directed against Israel at all, considering its security needs." Israel is in intensive efforts against the move, which is expected to come up next month at the earliest.