Chile recognized Palestine as an independent state
Chile has recognized Palestine as an independent state, Foreign Minister Alfredo Moreno said Friday, following in the footsteps of several other Latin American countries.
“The government of Chile has adopted the resolution today recognizing the existence of the state of Palestine as a free, independent and sovereign state,” he said, reading a foreign ministry declaration.
He added that Chilean President Sebastian Pinera would visit Israel and the Palestinian territories on March 4 and 5.
Late last year, Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia and Ecuador recognized Palestine as an independent state. Uruguay has said it will follow suit in 2011.
The Chilean statement did not mention the borders of the Palestinian state, which its South American neighbors said were “within the 1967 borders.”
Those were the boundaries that existed before Israel captured the West Bank, including east Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip in that year's Arab-Israeli conflict, known as the Six Day War.
Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Costa Rica had already previously recognized the Palestinian state.
The borders of a final Palestinian state have been one of the thorniest issues in peace negotiations with Israel.
Direct talks between the two sides, the first for nearly two years, began on September 2 but stalled after a 10-month Israeli settlement-building freeze expired three weeks later.
In a New Year's Eve address, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas urged the international community to come up with a new peace plan after months of US shuttle diplomacy failed to secure a fresh settlement freeze.
The Palestinians' current strategy centers on a proclamation of statehood in September 2011, the end of the 12 months set as a target for the talks launched in Washington.
But Israel is concerned over such plans and has reportedly ordered its own diplomats worldwide to mount a counter-offensive.
If the Palestinians lose this battle, they are considering calling for their territories to be placed under international administration. (AFP)
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I wonder if the French Guyanese kick up as much fuss about Le Francais as the argies do over UK south atlantic ?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=teMlv3ripSM
Bit like countries in the south cone recognising Argentine sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.
Bit like recognising that Mars is full of little green men :-)
Las Malvinas are the natural part of Argentina anyway !
Denial of reality can get you strapped into a funny suit and put in a padded room!
The Falkland Islanders may opt for independance one day and they'll be recognised ...... by Britain and its allies at least :-)
other UK parts Australia ,Canada,New Zealand,N.Ireland,Scotland
Wales may be will recognize the independence of Malvinas !
#17- no problem, certainly these wortless islands are ours .
PS: “Worthless” is a nice way to refer to the home of the poor British islanders :)
21--- as a welshman,you may go independant soon...trust yourself !
But don't think that this welsh Y Draig Goch wants to be idependent, Y Draig Goch is a pitiless pussy and doesn't care about his country so he's happy being a pussy :) You'll see, it's even incapable of saying if it is a man or a woman. Look: Hey Y Draing Goch, are you a man o a woman? :)
The State never existed.
The 'state' of Palestine was proclaimed in 1988, but in exile. Land was granted to the state, by Egypt (Gaza Strip) and Jordan (West Bank), but this was under full Israeli occupation, and parts of these lands were even then part of the State of Israel.
Since the peace process was started in 1993, many of the most central state institutions have been established for Palestine: The Palestinian Authority (as it is officially called) controls parts of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, there is an elected president, a government, police, a juridical system and from 1995 even a Palestinian passport (only recognized by 29 countries).
Calling a state a state does not make it so.
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