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France Announces it Will Back Palestinian Statehood Bid at U.N.

Nov. 27, 2012 10:25am Tiffany Gabbay

Laurent Fabius and PA leader Mahmoud Abbas (Photo source: Vosisneias)

PARIS (TheBlaze/AP) — France announced Tuesday that it plans to vote in favor of recognizing a Palestinian state at the U.N. General Assembly this week.

With the announcement, France becomes the first major European country to come out in favor, dealing a setback to Israel. The timing of the announcement appears aimed at swaying other European nations.

Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told parliament that France has long supported Palestinian ambitions for statehood and “will respond `Yes’” when the issue comes up for a vote “out of a concern for coherency.”

The Palestinians say the assembly is likely to vote Thursday on a resolution raising their status at the U.N. from an observer to a nonmember observer state, a move they believe is an important step toward a two-state solution with Israel. A Palestinian state would still not be a full General Assembly member, however.

Unlike the Security Council, there are no vetoes in the General Assembly and the resolution is virtually certain of approval. But such a vote by France – a permanent council member – could weigh on decisions in other European capitals.

Europe is divided over the issue. Switzerland and Portugal have said they will vote for the measure, but Germany is among the countries that have opposed the bid. Britain’s position remains unclear.

Palestinians say they are doing this out of frustration over the four-year deadlock in peace efforts. They believe an endorsement of their state will bolster their negotiating position.

Israel strongly opposes the bid, accusing the Palestinians of trying to bypass negotiations. The resolution would endorse a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, the territories captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war. Israel opposes a pullback to the 1967 lines.

As French lawmakers applauded Tuesday- many of them members or allies of the Socialist-led government – Fabius cautioned against raising Palestinian hopes too high.

“But, but, but, but, but – but at the same time, madame and monsieur lawmakers, we must show in this case a lot of lucidity,” he said.

“On the one hand, because the text is currently being discussed, and I myself had (Palestinian) President Mahmoud Abbas on the phone yesterday morning,” he said. “On the other hand, because – let’s not hide from this – that this question will be asked at a very delicate moment.”

He went on to note the “fragile cease-fire” after the recent deadly fighting between Hamas and Israel, the Israeli election in January, and the upcoming “change in composition of the American administration” – with the United States seen by many as perhaps the most pivotal player in the region.

“In any case, it’s only through negotiations – that we ask for without conditions and immediately between the two sides – that we will be able to reach the realization of a Palestinian state,” Fabius said.

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Comments (103)

AbrahamsSheepdog
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 11:25am
Freedom fries for me. This world is turning into nimrod’s dream. They are frustrated over peace treaty problems? Uhh you guys use tunnels&children. How stupid are people?

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- Secret Squirrel
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 12:03pm
  .
  Can someone tell France there never was a “Palestine”.
  Even the Jordanians didn’t want them.
  
  The definition of a Palestinian state is “A place to shoot rockets from”.
  
  I remember the Palestinians. They were cheering on 9/11. I’ll never forget. Rot.
  
  Report this comment
- NovemberTwentyseven
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 12:04pm
  We are quickly becoming exstinct, by we I mean the reasonable and rational. Read fresh Political comentary at: http://smallcraftadvisorychronicles.blogspot.com/
  
  Report this comment
- naughtycal
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 12:27pm
  France has a large Muslim population and they’re scared and doing what French do best SURRENDERING .
  
  Report this comment
- Individualism
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 12:48pm
  political stunt for the socialists to keep their Muslim base which makes up a decent chunk of the population there, politicians pulling political stunts on this issue, the reason why USA is against it is because of the huge amount of zionist funding and the other-side has little numbers or money.
  
  Report this comment
- fastfacts
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 1:06pm
  What are they smoking.
  
  They should go through comedian Steven Crowder’s Marijuana101: http://www.thedailycandidate.com/video/2012/nov/crowder_marijuana_truth.html
  
  Then maybe they will stop being whimps and idiots… the French that is…
  
  Report this comment
- searcher619
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 2:55pm
  Maybe they are trying to appease the Muslims the allowed into their country who are now helping dismantle it.
  
  Report this comment
cdn1979
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 11:25am
There are only two countries who do not back it. That is the USA and Israel.. The only thing that is preventing Palestine from becoming a country is the Israeli control of the US Veto in the UN.

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- VanceUppercut
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 11:36am
  Exactly.
  
  Report this comment
- crueltiming
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 12:36pm
  for now
  
  Report this comment
- COFemale
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 12:45pm
  Do you know why the U.S. and Israel oppose it? Do you realize it will eliminate Israel. First of all you need to stop calling them Palestinians and using the term Palestine. Neither exists. These are Arab refugee’s who came from other areas, squatted in Israel on their lands and claimed it as their own. It would be like me coming to your home when it was empty and claiming it as my new home. Then when you came home and tried to kick me out, I started shooting at you tell you to get off my land. How well would that work out for you?
  
  Until you know the ramifications of declaring a non-existent people as a non-existent location, you might want to educate yourselves beyond the Liberal talking points.
  
  Report this comment
- DIgnified
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 1:05pm
  @cofem. Another i d i o t. ‘There’s no Palestine. The things that want their land say so. And if I never check it out I can maintain a false sense of superiority while being a bigger POS in reality.’
  
  Report this comment
- Lloyd Drako
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 3:07pm
  CoFemale: Nonsense. Some of the Palestinians are descended from early 20th-century immigrants drawn in by Jewish settlement and development. But most of them are people whose ancestors lived in Jordan, the West Bank, Gaza or pre-1967 Israel for centuries. “Palestine” was a common if unofficial name for the region south of Lebanon, between the Mediterranean and the desert, from Greek and Roman times forward.
  
  Report this comment
schroeder123
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 11:24am
France gave us Miss Liberty. Like a Trojan horse. Sneaky commi pinko’s.

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- The_Almighty_Creestof
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 11:34am
  “gave”? They owed us a ton of money after the war and refused to pay us. Gave us the statue instead…and then we had to pay them for it in order to complete it.
  
  The french…nazi sympathizers, Saadaams bed buddy. Cowardly, backstabbing trash.
  
  Report this comment
- tzion
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 11:39am
  A Frenchman gave us Liberty as a massage to France to be more like the US. Clearly they never got the message.
  
  Report this comment
- Dismayed Veteran
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 12:13pm
  @ Almighty
  
  What war would that be? The Statue of Liberty was given by France to the US in 1886.
  
  Report this comment
- The_Almighty_Creestof
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 1:52pm
  @Dismayed Veteran ~~~The war France began with us in 1797 in an attempt to stop British-American trade…seizing and/or destroying some 300 ships. The war continued during our civil war when they invested heavily in the south in hopes of splitting the country and avoiding a united America as a rival to their power.
  
  And the statue was meant as a centennial gift from one power to another…but was 10 years late because the actual French people wanted no part in it…which is when America stepped in and paid for the thing. So it’s kind of like those “stars” who gush all over the place about their spot on the walk of fame or their wax statue…never bothering to mention that they solicited the “award” and paid for it themselves.
  
  Maybe it’s time we ask France to pay up on all the billions they owe us from WWI.
  
  France is our enemy and has been since day 1.
  
  Report this comment
- SoNick
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 2:55pm
  The_Almighty_Creestof
  nice bit of historical revisionnism, buddy. I wonder how wonder how the Founding Fathers would react to your rabid hatred of all things French, considering how indebted they were to the great thinkers of the French Enlightenment.
  
  Report this comment
- Lloyd Drako
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 3:08pm
  Almighty: Um, not since day 1 exactly. Have you forgotten that without French aid the US might never have won its independence?
  
  Report this comment
- The_Almighty_Creestof
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 3:33pm
  @ Lloyd Drako ~~Ben Franklin missed the entire war of independence because he was in europe, masterfully manipulating the french and securing 1 loan after another –which actually helped lead to their financial collapse– but, the fact remains, they were the last to attack us prior to declaring our independence, and the first to attack us afterwards.
  
  Report this comment
spfoam1
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 11:17am
We have always been able to count on France to do exactly the wrong thing.

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- gb123
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 1:29pm
  Now you know why the British wanted ti fight until the last Frenchman in World War 1.
  
  Report this comment
SpankDaMonkey
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 11:16am
.
Hey Frenchy better watch out they’ll glue your behind shut………….

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Ivabig1
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 11:14am
This is just stupid. How can anyone back the Palestinian’s request for statehood within Israel’s borders.
The people of Israel are the only people on earth with a clear title to their land, transferred to them from the original owner.

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- DIgnified
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 2:45pm
  Clear title? No. The US should not support the UN or its actions. That includes Israeli statehood. Can’t gave it both ways Chachi.
  
  Report this comment
- Lloyd Drako
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 3:09pm
  They are not supporting Palestinian statehood “within Israel’s borders.” Israel’s borders–and Palestine’s–are precisely what would be defined by a two-state settlement.
  
  Report this comment
- tzion
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 5:40pm
  @Dignified
  Apples and oranges. The British asked the UN to propose a solution after their proposed partition plan was rejected. The UN then voted on a partition plan that (here’s where you want to pay attention) was NEVER implemented. That’s right, the UN partition plan that would have created two independent states is irrelevant because it was never put into action. The Arabs, and not just those living in the area either, all rejected the UN’s plan and the newly declared state of Israel was left to fend for itself. Israel exists because they fought for and won that right, not because of some ancient UN relic that failed to accomplish anything.
  
  Report this comment
AbrahamsSheepdog
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 11:05am
Russia really does well handling un behind it all. Is China quiet under orders?

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kung
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 11:03am
Nothing has changed. Europe still hates Jews. This time I hope the Jews fight back.

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- BamaCon
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 11:19am
  I don’t see how supporting a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian problems in any way entails “hating Jews.”
  
  Report this comment
- AbrahamsSheepdog
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 11:46am
  By supporting evil murders (that’s Palestinians motto). That’s how. Same old story.
  
  Report this comment
- COFemale
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 12:50pm
  How can you support a two-state solution on a non-existent people on non-existent land? There never was a place called Palestine. How many times do we have to tell you schmucks Palestine is a region that covers Israel, Syria and Jordan. Please, please I beg of you read up on topic and quit spewing false talking points coming from the left. They refuse to see the truth.
  
  Report this comment
- tzion
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 6:11pm
  @cofemale
  Personally I have no immediate qualms with a two-state solution so long as it is actually a solution, which all evidence says would not be the case if such a solution were adopted. Even Israel itself would be more than happy to not have millions of Palestinians to be concerned about. That said, the UN has no role in any of this. I don’t what anyone says about 1947 because this isn’t an analogous situation is the slightest. The definition of an international border is a boundary which the parties on both sides recognize and accept, not something the UN decided upon.
  
  Report this comment
mikem1969
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 10:50am
So now the idiots in france support terrorists. In my book hey are now a erroriststate as well and an enemy.

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- Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 11:01am
  Indeed, just as Obama with his alliance to and arming of terror bands makes him a terrorist as well.
  
  Report this comment
- Cavallo
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 11:21am
  Interesting how some posts disappear.
  
  Report this comment
- Cavallo
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 11:47am
  Alright, let’s try this again. France are the same people that helped Saddam Hussein build a nuclear reactor (the Osirak facility) that Israel then had to blow up. They have been on good terms with Muslims because of their oil and mutual hatred of the Jews. France would like to rewrite history or convince you that the Vichy, who shipped Jews on trains to Auschwitz, were in the minority. The Vichy actually got far more support than any modern French will ever admit publically, and their only secret regret was that they didn’t ship off more of them.
  
  Report this comment
- Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 12:08pm
  Good call Cav. I might also add that France was the mastermind behind the oil for food scandal with Saddam. In fact, BNP Paribas was the primary money launderer for the UN in that whole ordeal. And they were given taxpayer money through TARP via Bank of the West which they own. Ahhh, France!
  
  Report this comment
zoro51
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 10:50am
fraunce youre un cut eat snails SMELL and arent worth it u side wiht the MURDERING MUSLUMS.. see how FAST you fall,….

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RANGER1965
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 10:49am
The dynamic is about to change in the Middle East. If Palestine is recognized as a state then they will have all of the power and privlidges of soverign statehood.

This will make it hard for Israel to respond to Palestinian aggression, without going “Total War” Palestine will also be able to negotiate treatys with other nations for economic aid as well as defense.

Bad times are coming for Israel.

Interestingly the Bible seems to point to God sponsering a “Falling Away” of other nations, leaving Israel alone. It seems that God Himself wants the world to know that He will be Israel’s defender.

We do live in some interesting times.

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- Cavallo
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 11:26am
  They should preempt the attempt and define Palestine’s borders themselves. Put up their wall and cut off all aid and ties to the new Palestine. Let them get aid and succor from Jordan. Define Gaza as a different country, and develop a DMZ.
  
  Report this comment
liberalism_is_mental_retardation
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 10:48am
Good job France….You just really proved how lame and pathetic you are… This just in: France is a country full of ***** a$$ idiots who only support palestinian state hood in hopes the big bully don’t come picking on them…. Grow a sack you worthless French tards!!!! France is nothing more than a country full of victims….Hey everyone, I think we should all go there and rob their citizens since we know they are too chicken $#it to fight back and defend themselves…. Worthless!!!

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- BehindBlueEyes
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 11:11am
  Even Europeans don’t like French people. They are known to be obnoxious demanding elitist people.
  
  Report this comment
- Dismayed Veteran
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 12:16pm
  I have no idea why the following popped into my head since it has no real connection to the story.
  
  Do you want to buy a French Army rifle? It has never been fired and only dropped once.
  
  Report this comment
ZAP
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 10:48am
As French lawmakers applauded Tuesday- many of them members or allies of the Socialist-led government SAYS IT ALL

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upadastra
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 10:47am
Yess Froggies, go for yet an other failed, miserable Islamist, religious fanatic, dictatorship on financial life support of the EU & USA

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- AbrahamsSheepdog
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 11:11am
  The Jerk must be partying in his moms basement. Drink that koolaid.
  
  Report this comment
RIGS
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 10:45am
The FRENCH FROG LEGS living up to their reputation. That is why hitler invaded them no balls just cowards as usual.

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Uncurable wound
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 10:42am
See what happens when your country is over run with mOOOslims!!!

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RaydocX
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 10:41am
Israel should back a free Algerian state at the UN.
I would say the US should do so, but we know our official policy for another four years will be this ridiculous ‘lead from behind’ that MSM and the syncophants tout without considering what an utter oxymoron that statement and attitude represent.

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Uncurable wound
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 10:41am
France sucks!

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- AbrahamsSheepdog
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 10:53am
  Trench warfare. Losers. Blood on his hands.
  
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Experiment626
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 10:40am
And some people think that there was no difference between Sarkozy and the new socialist government.

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Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 10:36am
The Palestinians are executing the plan flawlessly. Get France to sanction their statehood. Upon recognition, declare war on France. France obviously surrenders and then the Palestinians can join the millions of Haji’s already in France as the new jewel of the caliphate.

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- DoseofReality
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 10:46am
  So you think Paestine would attack France? Seriously, take a break from your mind and go on vacation.
  
  Report this comment
- Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 10:54am
  @Reality,
  
  They wouldn’t have to. Simply the declaration of war should be enough for the French to surrender.
  
  Report this comment
- Zipit
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 11:10am
  Oui Roth! Oui.” Vive La Francistan”!!!!!
  
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RightUnite
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 10:36am
Good….. Now, France can continue it’s fall into Islam. They deserve everything they get.

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mewnani
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 10:35am
Oh lord here we go. You just HAD to do it didn’t you France? Now the whole world’s gonna catch on fire.

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- trolltrainer
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 10:49am
  pfft, relax! God is in control and we know Israel will overcome her enemies. This may even be the best news ever, this may usher in the End Times. Of course, every generation has expected they would be the ones to see it, but man, everything that happens these days just screams Bible prophecy. We know the world will be against Israel but THE Antichrist will negotiate a false 3 and 1/2 year peace between her and his world power.
  
  Could it happen now, right this instant? Certainly…But I feel there are a few more years left to fully develop the exact biblical situation. We are SO close though…So close…
  
  I echo John’s sentiment in the final words of the Book of Revelation and the final words in the Bible, Rev. 22:20-21:
  
  He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
  
  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
  
  Report this comment
- ArmedAndReallyPissed
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 10:59am
  Come on Dec. 21st. Put an end to all this.
  
  Report this comment
TruckerClockWhoWantsIT
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 10:33am
The French are Gutless.

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- chips1
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 10:39am
  After the vote, France will have guts all over the place. Then they will be gutless.
  
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FISH_BONE
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 10:33am
A bigger and more stunning story would be: “France Announces it’s Women will Now Shave and Use Deoderant”.

We can all make the world a better place by doing our part.

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- Cavallo
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 11:05am
  So that is what the French have in common with the Muslims.. women who smell like an onion shop and are hairy like linebackers.
  
  Report this comment
ClaudeRains
Posted on November 27, 2012 at 10:31am
I have several French assault weapons for sale. Never been fired and only dropped once.

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- RightUnite
  Posted on November 27, 2012 at 10:43am
  Do they have a white flag attached to it??
  
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