INFO FRANCEINFO. The office of the National Assembly will examine the creation of a France-Palestine friendship group

The office of the National Assembly will examine the creation of a France-Palestine friendship group, revealed Saturday April 27, the franceinfo political service. A vote must take place on May 15 to decide whether or not to transform the current France-Palestine study group into a friendship group, like the one that exists for France-Israel.

Some MPs, in favor of the approach, see it as another step towards recognition of Palestine by France. This is the case of Eric Coquerel: “A study group is for a people, a friendship group is for a State”summarizes the LFI deputy for Seine-Saint-Denis to franceinfo, who adds: “Symbolically, it would be very strong.”

The Modem deputy for Loiret, Richard Ramos, president of the current France-Palestine study group, also sees this as a step forward: “If the office votes for the creation of a friendship group, the National Assembly recognizes Palestine”. Richard Ramos indeed believes that “this vote would go further” than what happened in 2014, when the National Assembly voted for the recognition of the State of Palestine. For the elected official, this time it is the National Assembly as the institution which would recognize Palestine and not only the deputies present at a given moment. According to the entourage of the President of the National Assembly Yaël Braun-Pivet, the opinions members of the Assembly office who will have to decide are very divided on the question.