German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said his government had no plans to recognise a Palestinian state officially.
There is “no reason” to recognise the Palestinian Authority (PA) as a separate state, Scholz said on Friday at a news conference alongside Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro.
“There is no clarity about the territory of the state, about all other issues related to it,” Scholz said.
He suggested that matters were “not yet that far.”
Scholz argued that “a negotiated solution between Israel and the Palestinians that amounts to a two-state solution” with a Palestinian Authority responsible for both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip is needed instead.
“But we’re still a long way off that,” Scholz said.
What is important now is “to achieve a long-term ceasefire” and “for all parties to commit to the two-state solution,” Scholz said.
Ireland, Spain, and Norway all announced plans to formally recognise a Palestinian state by the end of the month, a move that was met with fury from the right-wing government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Montenegro said that Portugal would not be taking this step for the time being, noting, however, that his country had voted in favour of recognising Palestine as a full member of the United Nations General Assembly.
Scholz said it was clear in recent weeks that Arab countries were working hard to ensure security in the Middle East region.
According to him, ensuring security in the area will give hope for a possible two-state solution in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Scholz added, however, that a path of “symbolic recognition of statehood” would not lead things any further.
