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00:00 Norway, Ireland and Spain together recognizing a Palestinian state.
00:05 It's a largely symbolic move, but it further deepens Israel's isolation.
00:09 Well joining us now, Palestinian Ambassador Hala Abu Haseera, head of the Palestinian
00:15 Mission to France.
00:16 Thank you for being with us here.
00:17 Thank you for the invitation.
00:18 On France 24.
00:19 This had been in the works for a while.
00:21 Comes the same week as the arrest warrant requests by the ICC's chief prosecutor.
00:27 Your reaction?
00:28 Very positively.
00:29 We highly welcome the recognition by Ireland, Norway and Spain today of the Palestinian
00:36 state.
00:37 A recognition that comes in coherence with the engagement of these states and with the
00:44 collectively, the international community towards the recognition of the right of the
00:50 Palestinian people to self-determination and to preserve the two-state solution.
00:57 One that has been advocated for so long, advocated by the whole of the international community.
01:05 It's about time today was the moment that collectively these countries recognize the
01:12 state of Palestine, of the Palestinian people right to exist, of his national identity and
01:19 to say it's the moment to make peace.
01:21 It's the moment to stop the aggression and that there is no solution, military solution
01:27 to the Palestinian question.
01:28 The only solution would be political and should be political.
01:32 Now what we're seeing is, and we heard analysts on this very set 24 hours ago, warning that
01:38 this increased pressure on Israel may lead to the opposite effect.
01:44 The government of Benjamin Netanyahu doubling down, and we saw it today with his far right
01:50 security minister going to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, with Mr. Smotrych freezing tax revenues
01:57 for the West Bank.
01:59 Is this going to make things worse before they make it better?
02:03 Israel has been doing this for 76 years already, since it's begun at the Palestinian Nakba
02:10 and it began its ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.
02:14 The colonization has been expanding at an unprecedented level, even before October.
02:22 The violation of the rights of the Palestinian people, war crimes, crimes against humanity
02:28 and now the crime of genocide are happening in spite of the international will, in spite
02:34 of international law, in spite of the provisional measures ordered by the ICJ and in spite of
02:42 the recent decision by the ICC.
02:44 Israel is, I would say, violating every single article of international law.
02:52 Of course, it will collectively punish the Palestinian people, as it has always been
02:58 doing.
02:59 But today we say it's not up to Israel.
03:02 Israel has never been as isolated on the international scene.
03:07 Israel has never been as isolated as it is today in the United Nations.
03:12 And Israel has to choose today.
03:14 This is the moment of choice, whether they want really, what kind of future they want
03:20 for their people, for the Palestinian people, for the peoples of the region as well.
03:25 This is the moment of choice for Israel to stop its aggression, its crimes, and to abide
03:30 by international law.
03:31 So some Hamas officials taking credit for the fact that the likes of Spain, Ireland
03:38 and Norway are recognizing a Palestinian state, saying if we hadn't picked up our weapons
03:43 and had armed struggle, this wouldn't have happened.
03:45 What's your reaction?
03:46 The state of Palestine has been engaged in a legal battle, I would say, on the international
03:53 arena, for the recognition of the state of Palestine since decades today.
03:58 And today's recognition comes as a fruit of the combat, really the struggle of the Palestinian
04:05 people for the past 76 years, for the past 76 years.
04:10 Today this is the victory of the Palestinian people.
04:13 This is the recognition of his existence, an existence that is denied by the state of
04:17 Israel and its ministers.
04:19 This is a recognition for equality.
04:22 Is Hamas right, though, to take credit?
04:25 The whole of Palestinian people should take credit for this.
04:28 And President Abbas, who was engaged for decades in the peaceful way to find a peaceful solution
04:38 with Israel.
04:39 The question today is, what does Israel want?
04:43 Does it want to go in the path of negotiations and the path and the way of peace that preserves
04:50 the equality rights, equal rights for everyone in the region?
04:55 This is the question today.
04:56 Ambassador Asira, France recognizing the independence of the ICC earlier this week, distancing itself
05:03 from the positions of the UK and the United States, but at the same time, it's not recognizing
05:08 a Palestinian state at this time.
05:10 What's your reaction to that?
05:11 Is France right?
05:12 I invite France to immediately recognize the state of Palestine in coherence with its...
05:17 Do you understand the French position?
05:19 I really hope that France seizes this moment, this very brilliant moment today, a victory
05:27 for international law, for the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.
05:37 And this recognition by France would be in coherence with its different votings in the
05:42 Security Council and the General Assembly and the annual voting that France votes for
05:47 the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.
05:50 This is the right moment.
05:52 And I hope France joins these countries who are sending a clear message that double standard
05:58 is no longer acceptable, that Israel does not have a veto on any peaceful move the international
06:05 community is taking.
06:07 How do you explain France's position?
06:10 I really, as I said, it's double standards.
06:15 We have to be clear today.
06:16 This is a moment of truth.
06:19 We have to be coherent with declarations.
06:23 France has to be coherent with its declarations towards preserving the two-state solution.
06:28 To preserve this solution, France has to recognize the state of Palestine.
06:33 That is not yet done by France.
06:37 Ambassador Hasira, many thanks for being with us here on France 24.
06:41 Thank you.
06:43 Stay with us.
06:44 There's much more to come.
06:45 Next, we'll be going to Cannes.
06:46 The film festival now is more than a week on.
06:49 They're starting to talk about the early favorites.
06:51 That's next.
06:51 [music]