World
Group of EU states should recognise Palestine together, Michel says
European Union countries willing to recognise the State of Palestine should move in tandem in order to “trigger significant progress” in building peace in the war-torn region, European Council President Charles Michel has said.
Speaking to journalists in Brussels this week, Michel floated “coordination at EU level” among those member states ready to formally recognise a Palestinian sovereign state, a move that has gained traction since the endorsement of Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and Malta last month.
Michel, who is tasked with forging consensus among all 27 EU leaders, suggested other like-minded countries outside the bloc could also join the initiative.
While nine EU member states already formally recognise the Palestinians’ right to statehood – including the likes of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Romania and Sweden – the EU’s official position is that it will recognise a Palestinian state once it is established as part of a two-state solution, the internationally-endorsed peace proposal for the region.
But coordinated recognition from member countries could provide the bloc with more “leverage” to urge both Israel and the Palestinian Authority to conduct the reforms needed to make a two-state solution possible, according to Michel.
Whilst he refrained from detailing what such reforms could entail, Michel suggested the European Union should use the “tools” at its disposal, such as the EU-Israel Association Agreement, to ensure Israel complies with the rule of law and with international humanitarian law.
The Association Agreement establishes the trade and institutional ties between the EU and Israel, and includes an article that imposes binding obligations on both parties to uphold human rights. Ireland and Spain’s call to review the agreement in light of Israel’s violations of fundamental rights in Gaza has failed to garner the necessary unanimous backing of all 27 member states.
“This Association Agreement takes into account the respect of the rule of law (and) of international law, including international humanitarian law,” Michel explained.
“The Commission has a responsibility to assess if this is respected or not. If it is not respected, the Commission can make a proposal related to this association agreement,” Michel said, in a clear signal of support for a review of the agreement.
On Tuesday, the UN’s special rapporteur on Palestine, Francesca Albanese, told Euronews that the bloc must halt trade ties with Israel to deter war crimes that amount to genocide in the besieged Gaza Strip.
It comes as international pressure also mounts on the US and Germany to suspend sales of arms used by Israel to power its offensive in Gaza.
Spain leads push for recognition of Palestinian State
Michel’s call for a coordinated recognition of the State of Palestine comes following a joint endorsement of the move by the leaders of Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and Malta following a summit of EU leaders last month.
The prospect has since gained traction, with Belgian ministers confirming they also stand ready to support the recognition of a Palestinian State comprising the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.
A spokesperson on behalf of the Spanish government said Tuesday that Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will meet the leaders of Norway, Ireland, Portugal, Slovenia and Belgium to discuss the situation in Gaza and the recognition of the State of Palestine, before all 27 EU leaders convene in Brussels next Wednesday.
Sánchez, who has spearheaded efforts to toughen the EU’s stance on Israel, has indicated Spain will move to recognise the State of Palestine by July.
But several member states eager to uphold a strong stance of solidarity with Israel are likely to refrain from backing the move, further entrenching the deeply divided stance of EU capitals on the conflict in the Middle East.
The EU hopes to play a central role in future negotiations between Israel and Palestine, weighing in with a roadmap and principles for a potential peace process.
But its inability to swiftly forge unanimous positions on a raft of issues, including calls for a ceasefire, has dented its credibility.
Michel acknowledged that the joint EU call for a ceasefire “took too much time,” but expressed confidence that there will be a “moment” when the conditions will be right for a coordination between member states to formally recognise Palestinian statehood.
Iranians mourning the country’s supreme leader condemned U.S. strikes that Washington called retaliation for Iran’s attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. At a tightly controlled state funeral in Mashhad — one of Iran’s most conservative cities, where opponents of the government were unlikely to be found in the crowd — mourners voiced defiance and called for revenge.
World
Beloved musicians among victims in deadly Bahamas plane crash; aviation authority grounds flights
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A devastating double-aviation crisis in the Bahamas, including a deadly North Andros plane crash and a separate aircraft fire on Friday, prompted the government to suspend flight operations for a local airline and launch a federal safety probe.
Shortly after 1 p.m. local time Friday, a Cessna 402 aircraft with Bahamian registration departed Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau bound for San Andros Airport.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) said the plane “encountered difficulties” and crashed into bushes prior to landing.
MISSOURI SKYDIVING PLANE CRASH THAT KILLED ALL 12 ABOARD IS A ‘DEVASTATING LOSS,’ COMPANY SAYS
Authorities said 10 people were killed in a Bahamas plane crash on Friday. (Our News Bahamas via AP)
First responders, including the Royal Bahamas Police Force, Airport Authority and emergency medical personnel, rushed to the dense brush where the aircraft went down.
The Bahamas Musicians and Entertainers Union confirmed in a statement Saturday that 10 people died in the crash, including prominent members of the “The Pond Band” and a local DJ, whose artistry the union said “touched so many lives and helped to enrich the cultural fabric of The Bahamas.”
Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis said a sole survivor was pulled from the wreckage.
“Ann and I are praying for the families who are now facing unbearable grief,” Davis wrote in a statement on X. “We are also praying for the survivor, whose recovery and care will remain in our thoughts.”
EIGHT BELIEVED DEAD AFTER B-52 CRASHES SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE
The identities of those killed in the crash have not yet been released.
While the AAIA’s preliminary reports initially indicated seven people were on board, officials are still establishing the facts of the flight manifest.
Just hours before the fatal crash in North Andros, a Flamingo Air flight en route to Mayaguana was forced to turn back to Nassau after the pilot reported a concern, according to the Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Aviation (MoET).
After the aircraft landed and passengers safely deplaned, the plane caught fire on the runway.
FORMER NFL QB ROBERT GRIFFIN III DESCRIBES HARROWING ENGINE FIRE ON UNITED FLIGHT
FILE – The Civil Aviation Authority Bahamas temporarily suspended Flamingo Air’s Air Operator Certificate following two aircraft incidents Friday. (iStock)
Following the two back-to-back safety incidents, the Civil Aviation Authority Bahamas (CAAB) temporarily suspended Flamingo Air’s Air Operator Certificate, according to MoET officials.
“The suspension is a precautionary safety measure and should not be treated as an adverse compliance action against Flamingo Air,” the agency wrote in a statement.
FILE – The plane crashed in North Andros on Friday after taking off from Lynden Pindling International Airport. (Melissa Alcena/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Investigators from the AAIA and inspectors from the CAAB remain at the scene in North Andros as they work to determine what caused the Cessna 402 tragedy.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Flamingo Air did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Published on •Updated
Moldova’s pro-European President Maia Sandu nominated businessman Vasile Tofan on Saturday as the country’s next prime minister to replace Alexandru Munteanu, who resigned earlier this month over differences with the ruling majority.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
In a video posted to social media, Sandu said Tofan’s primary responsibility, after his candidacy is approved by the country’s parliament, would be to move the country further towards its path of “integration” into the European Union.
He should also “strengthen the resilience of state institutions and society”, and “revive the economy”, added Sandu.
The Moldovan businessman now has two weeks to secure parliamentary backing, a prospect he hopes to achieve after submitting his government programme and his ministerial cabinet nominations.
Tofan had been mentioned as a possible prime minister last year even before the appointment of Munteanu.
Igor Grosu, who heads Sandu’s Action and Solidarity Party (PAS) which won the last parliamentary elections in September, announced on Friday that he had selected him as his candidate to replace the outgoing premier.
He said Tofan shared “the same objectives” as him and PAS, specifying that “EU accession in the years to come, institutional reform and economic growth”, were among the biggest points of agreement.
The nominee for prime minister, who graduated Harvard Business School and turns 44 on Sunday, has a degree in public management from the Netherlands and is a managing partner at Horizon Capital, a private equity firm with assets primarily in Ukraine and Moldova.
He has also chaired the board of directors of Moldova’s Purcari winery, considered the crown jewel of the country’s winemaking sector.
Munteanu, another businessman who like Sandu previously worked at the World Bank, had been chosen to boost the economy and bring it closer to the EU, but turbulence with PAS saw him vacate his post less than a year into holding office.
He resigned on 3 July after less than eight months, stating that he could no longer carry out his mandate “according to (his) principles and (his) convictions”.
The EU last month officially launched a first round of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. Both countries became official EU candidate countries on 23 June 2022.
Additional sources • AFP
-
New Jersey3 seconds agoEx-NJ GOP aide accused of staging slashing attack shows off horrific scars — and mystery man — in new snap
-
New Mexico3 minutes agoNew Mexico AG Wants to Know Where Epstein Records Are
-
North Carolina3 minutes ago
UNC shortstop selected in first round of MLB Draft by Red Sox; list of NC players drafted
-
North Dakota15 minutes ago
The Crookston Masonic Lodge and Order of the Eastern Star present a donation check to Honor Flight of North Dakota and Minnesota
-
Ohio18 minutes agoOhio’s first mountain coaster coming to Hocking Hills
-
Oklahoma23 minutes agoHousing affordability act becomes law, Oklahoma lawmakers react
-
Oregon30 minutes agoEast Evans Creek Road wildfire swells to about 2,000 acres; homes threatened
-
Pennsylvania33 minutes agoIndicators 2026: How walkable is Northeast Pennsylvania?
