Israel: Prominent writers join 800 Israelis in urging Belgium to recognise Palestine

Several prominent Israeli writers have joined nearly 800 people in signing a letter urging Belgium to recognise the state of Palestine.

The letter came a few days after Belgium announced an agreement had been reached to recognise Palestine.

Peter Luykx, a legislator for the N-VA party, the biggest in Belgium's four-party ruling coalition, explained that Belgian legislators are working on a draft text to recognise the Palestinian state.

"We have a first draft text and our ambition is to bring it swiftly to the parliamentary committee," he said.

However, some members of the governing coalition denied the existence of such an agreement, adding that Belgian recognition of a Palestinian state "is not on the agenda yet at all."

In the meantime, hundreds of Israelis, including authors Amos Oz, AB Yehoshua and David Grossman, wrote a letter to the Belgian government.

"We, the citizens of Israel who want security and peace, are concerned with the political stalemate and the ongoing occupation and settlements, which has led to conflicts with the Palestinians and torpedoed any chance possibility of an agreement," the petition read.

"It is clear to us that the chances of Israel's survival and its security depend upon the creation of the State of Palestine, based on the 1967 borders as well as Israel's recognition of Palestine and Palestine's recognition of Israel.

"Your initiative to recognise the State of Palestine will promote the chances of peace and encourage Israelis and Palestinians to resolve the conflict," the letter concludes.

The letter came shortly after Sweden became the first European country to recognise the Palestinian statehood, while Britain, France and Spain have all held votes on the recognition.

French lawmakers also approved with 339 votes to 151 a non-binding text urging the government to recognise a Palestinian state "in view of reaching a definitive settlement to the conflict."

Israel has condemned these moves, claiming that recognising a Palestinian state would not help halt the conflict between Arabs and Jews.

"Such decisions will only make the Palestinian positions more extreme and send the wrong message to the leaders and peoples of this region," Israel's Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said.

"A solution to the conflict will only be found through direct negotiations between the two parties and not through unilateral actions."