Talking to the German Press Agency dpa, the Mideast expert of the Social Democratic
Party (SPD) Rolf Muetzenich said his country was missing out on a chance of having
any influence on the Palestinians and those countries which do support the Palestinian
statehood plans in the UN, by adopting this hardline stance.
A staunch ally of the Zionist regime, Berlin has not only rejected the Palestinian
independence campaign in the UN General Assembly, set for September, but has openly vowed to team up with the US to sabotage the Palestinian efforts.
More than 110 countries, including European Union members France, Britain, Poland,
Romania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Hungary as well as Brazil, China, India,
Russia or South Africa have so far signalled readiness to back a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state.
Merkel whose country is a major donor to the Palestinian Authority (PA), had reportedly
tried to arm-twist PA President Mahmoud Abbas to cancel plans for a unilateral declaration of Palestinian statehood when they met in Berlin last month.
Abbas has however vowed to push ahead with his initiative to get diplomatic recognition in the United Nations for a Palestinian state.
Realizing there is mounting international backing for such a move, Abbas has yet to
cave in to intense pressure by the Zionist regime and its biggest western backers, the US and Germany.
The Palestinian leader felt further emboldened by his decision as EU powerhouses,
France and Britain, have also expressed tacit support for a unilateral declaration of an independent Palestinian state.
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