A member of the Palestine National Council, Abdelrahim Barham, highlighted two issues of particular relevance for Palestinian parliamentarians. First was that the Council wished to recognize and thank the 135 countries, plus Sweden, that had recognized the State of Palestine.
He called upon parliaments to hold votes and demand that their Governments recognize Palestine, as some European countries had done in recent days. That would help to solve the impasse of the peace talks and reach the two-State solution, with a viable, contiguous Palestinian State, which risked becoming un-implementable, as a result of Israeli actions, such as settlements, the wall and the “Judaization” of Jerusalem, all in contravention of international law. Second, he recalled that 22 Palestinian parliamentarians were being held in Israeli jails as administrative detainees in violation of their immunity, which Israel had recognized. Administrative detention was illegal and arbitrary, he stressed. He called upon parliaments to put pressure on the Knesset for the release of those Palestinian members of the Palestinian Legislative Council.
Many Palestinians suffer from the brutal effects of the Egyptian and Israeli blockades.
https://unispal.un.org/DPA/DPR/unispal.nsf/eed216406b50bf6485256ce10072f637/aa995cf06a649d5285257ea000678907?OpenDocument
http://www.un.org/press/en/2014/gapal1316.doc.htm
