After roughly five years, the European Parliament again voted a resolution on the prospects for the two-State solution for Israel and Palestine. As Socialists and Democrats, we want to reiterate our strong call for relaunching concrete negotiations around the only possible way forward for a lasting and solid peace: two sovereign States, based on the 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as the capital of both States. While the resolution is recognising Israel's right to security and call for guarantees in this field, we, as progressives, delivered a firm condemning of Israeli forces’ violent acts against Palestinians and the spreading of illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied territories. We urge the EU to take leadership on a possible International Peace Conference and call for the end of the blockade of the Gaza Strip.

S&D rapporteur and MEP, Javi Lopez, said:

“With this resolution, the Parliament makes a strong call for achieving a two-State solution for the conflict between Israel and Palestine, two democratic and viable States that should be able to coexist in peace. We reiterate our firm conviction that the settlements, occupation and demolition carried out by Israel in Palestinian territory are not only contrary to international law, but also, in practice, make any solution impossible.

“We call for improving dialogue and working towards a two-State solution based on the borders of 1967 and for the EU to push for and lead an International Peace Conference.”

Pedro Marques, MEP and S&D vice-president for foreign affairs, said:

“With this resolution, we send a very clear message to all the parties: it is necessary to resume genuine peace negotiations, leading to the implementation of the two-State solution.

“All actions that undermine the resolution of this conflict have our firm condemnation, including violence from both sides, the occupation of land, or the installation of settlements in the occupied territories.

“The hope of a stable and lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians has to be real, and it can only exist with two sovereign, democratic States, with Jerusalem as the capital of both.”