Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras (R) welcomes Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the Maximos Mansion in Athens, Greece, December 21, 2015. © Alkis Konstantinidis / Reuters
Source: RT.com
The Greek parliament has unanimously voted to recognize Palestine as an independent state. It comes amid an official visit to Greece by the Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.
The Greek premier Alexis Tsipras said on Monday that the vote to recognize Palestinian statehood would only serve to cement formal recognition at a later “appropriate” date.
Following today’s vote, Greece is set to change “PA [Palestinian Authority]” to “Palestine” in its official documents.
It should be noted that Palestine has been recognized by the Greek parliament, but not by the Greek state.
However, the move has already come under fire from Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely, who said the decision “leads nowhere”and has “no practical significance.”
Dome of the Rock with the rest of Jerusalem in background
Categories: Asia, Europe and Australia, Greece, Palestine, The Muslim Times