Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 11 / Trend A. Akhundov /
At present, quite a large number of countries are ready to support creating a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders. But this is not a simple process, experts said.
In early December Argentina and Brazil recognized the Palestinian National Authority as a free and independent state "within the borders of June 4, 1967 in response to the call of the head of the Palestinian National Authority Mahmoud Abbas, made during his trip to Latin America. Israel called Argentina's decision as "regrettable", France-Presse agency reported, with reference to the official representative of the Israeli Foreign Ministry.
"It is obvious that today quite a large number of countries are ready to support creating a Palestinian state, because this issue is marked in numerous UN resolutions, particularly in the "Right of the Palestinian people to self-determination," Gumer Isayev, head of the St. Petersburg Center for the Study of the Modern Middle East, told Trend over phone.
However, despite numerous statements by various political leaders, it is early to talk about establishing a Palestinian independent state. The main factor is Israel's opinion.
Arabic expert Akram Khuzam also thinks that at present everything depends on Israel's reaction to Argentina and Brazil's decisions and its further actions.
"Argentina and Brazil's decisions will create conditions for other countries to force Israel to recognize the territory of Palestine within the 1967 borders," Khuzam, a member of Trend Expert Council, said over phone.
However, according to Professor Shmuel Sandler at Bar-Ilan University, recognizing the Palestinian National Autonomy by Argentina and Brazil as an independent state will not have much impact on the current situation.
"Creating a Palestinian state is a very complicated process. Argentina and Brazil's decision will not have much influence on the process," Sandler said.
Isayev said that the issue of establishing an independent Palestinian state is complicated by the fact that it is necessary to consider not only political but also economic, social and many other aspects.
Isayev called the issue of Israeli settlements and the status of Jerusalem as the major unresolved issues.
"The problem is also a very complex process of restoring the economy, because it is economically difficult to provide that territory, which could be allotted under Palestinian state, and make it self-sufficient. The most economically developed area in the West Bank today is allotted for Jewish settlement," Isayev said.
He said that there is also the issue of refugees who will wish to return to the territory of the new state if it is formed.
The current negotiation process between Israel and Palestine began in 1993. Palestinians hope that the Israelis will withdraw their troops from the territories of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem occupied after the 1967 war. The Palestinian National Autonomy wants to create a Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem on this area. However, Israel refuses from returning to the border lines of 1967. It does not want to raise the issue about Jerusalem, which it announced its "eternal and indivisible capital".
N. Guliyev contributed to the article.