Nabil Abu Rudeineh
Nabil Abu RudeinehReuters

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) deputy cabinet leader and “information minister”, is calling on European countries to defend international legitimacy, save the peace process and support the “two-state solution” through recognition of the state of Palestine, whose capital is eastern al-Quds (Jerusalem -ed.).

Speaking at the opening of the Arab-European Summit in Greece on Tuesday, Abu Rudeineh said that Europe could play an influential role and pressure Israel to obey the legitimacy and international law and honor the agreements signed with the Palestinians under international patronage.

He noted that European countries could reexamine cooperation agreements with Israel as a means of pressuring it to repeal its "racist" and "apartheid" laws and adhere to principles of human rights.

Abu Rudeineh further said that the “two-state solution” is in danger because of the continued Israeli policy that negates legitimacy and international law and its denial of agreements signed with the Palestinian Authority since the 1993 Oslo Accords.

The PA, which has boycotted the US administration for nearly two years and says it cannot be an honest broker for peace with Israel, has in recent years repeatedly urged members of the EU to recognize “Palestine” as a means of bypassing peace talks with Israel.

Several European countries have in recent years recognized the state of “Palestine”, but these were symbolic moves that have little, if any, actual diplomatic effect.