The French parliament passed a symbolic vote to recognize Palestine as a state. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas praised the French government saying it was a “courageous and encouraging step.”
Israelis denounced the vote. Israel said it was committed to establishing a Palestinian state under a peace agreement, but such a vote encouraged the Palestinians to avoid negotiations.
The French government said it wanted peace talks between the two sides to restart.
For more on the French vote and prospects for middle east peace talks, CCTV America talked with Kurt Volker, former U.S. ambassador to NATO and an international policy analyst.