M5S files motion to recognise State of Palestine

(ANSA) - ROME, MAY 27 - The leftwing opposition 5-Star Movement (M5S) on Monday filed a motion committing the government to recognise the State of Palestine and censure Italy's recent abstention on recognition at the UN along with the UK, Germany and several other countries.
    Norway, Spain and Ireland last week said they would recognise Palestine on Tuesday, tomorrow, in a move that bolstered the global Palestinian movement but put further strain on relations between European and Israel.
    The M5S motion commits the government not only to the formal recognition of the State of Palestine, but to take a clear position in the international arena by censuring Italy's abstention of 10 May.
    "(Premier Giorgia) Meloni can no longer bury her head in the sand," said M5S sources, letting it be known that the group will ask for the motion to be immediately scheduled in the Lower House at the conference of caucus leaders on Tuesday.
    Italy abstained May 10 on a UN General Assembly resolution recognising Palestine as qualified to become a full member of the United Nations.
    The other abstainers were Albania, Bulgaria, Austria, Canada, Croatia, Fiji, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Marshall Islands, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Moldova, Paraguay, Romania, Vanuatu, Malawi, Monaco, Ukraine, Great Britain, Sweden and Switzerland.
    The nine countries that voted against were the USA, Israel, Palau, Nauru, Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, Hungary, Argentina and Czechia.
    The resolution passed.
    photo: M5S leader and former premier Giuseppe Conte (ANSA).