Italian Parliament to Vote on Recognition of Palestine

A group of left-wing Italian parliamentarians has prepared a motion proposing the recognition of a Palestinian state and may bring it to the house as early as Friday.

• Sweden Recognizes Palestine
• EU Parliament Passes Palestine Recognition Motion
• EU's Mogherini to Seek Palestinian State
• Ed Miliband Backs Palestine Recognition

Lawmakers from the Left Ecology Freedom party, the Italian Socialist Party and the Democratic Party met on Wednesday to discuss the motion, the Palestine News Network reported.

The text calls on the Italian government to "recognize the State of Palestine so that negotiations towards the solution of 'two peoples, two states can start.'"

The Democratic Party of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi was said to be ready to back the text, making it likely to be approved.

The New Center-Right party of Minister of Interior, Angelino Alfano, has also prepared a motion for the "recognition of the principle of 'two peoples, two states,'" but is opposed to the unilateral recognition of Palestine.

The right-wing Italian North-League party strongly disagrees with both motions.

The leftist motion is similar to one that was overwhelmingly approved by the French parliament in December.

The only European country that currently recognizes Palestine is Sweden. The European parliament has passed a motion of recognition, as have several European national parliaments.