Recognition of Palestinian state no longer 'taboo' in Germany, says ruling Social Democratic Party

By Oliver Towfigh Nia

BERLIN (AA) - Chancellor Olaf Scholz's co-ruling Social Democratic Party (SPD) said on Monday that recognizing a Palestinian state should no longer be a "taboo" in Germany, citing growing international frustration with Israel's military actions in the occupied Palestinian territories.

“The recognition of a Palestinian state shouldn't be taboo for us. To escape the spiral of violence, to get out of it, you need two things. First, a cease-fire must be established immediately, followed by the hostages’ release. It has to be linked to a political offer that provides security for both sides,” SPD lawmaker and the party’s foreign policy spokesman Nils Schmid told the weekly news magazine DER SPIEGEL.

“This should include normalization of Israel's relations with Arab states, but also recognition of a State of Palestine. The final borders have to be clarified during the negotiations, but at the beginning, all parties should recognize what the aim of the negotiations is: a Palestinian state that cannot threaten Israel,” Schmid added.

Germany and the EU have long supported a two-state solution in the Mideast, but only as part of a negotiated settlement. With talks long bogged down and Israel’s military onslaught on Gaza intensifying, some European countries are openly advocating for the recognition of a Palestinian state sooner.

In a related development, Schmid expressed doubts within his party about the proportionality of Israel's deadly military actions in Gaza.

“Doubts about the proportionality of the deployment are growing in the SPD. And, personally, I also have strong doubts about it,” the SPD legislator said.

Schmid also warned that a planned Israeli military attack on densely populated Rafah could result in disproportionate killings, given that over a million civilian men, women, and children have sought refuge in the southern Gaza city.

There has been mounting international criticism over Israel’s onslaught on Gaza as nearly 30,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have so far been killed in the five-month military actions, with over 70,000 injured.