Tel Aviv criticizes Britain's upgrade of Palestinian diplomatic status

An official Israeli political source has criticized Britain’s decision to upgrade the status of Palestinian diplomatic representatives in the Palestinian mission in London, claiming that such a step “affects the efforts to resume the negotiation process” between Tel Aviv and the Palestinian Authority.

On Tuesday (08.03), Radio Israel quoted the official source as saying that “an upgrade in status will not encourage the Palestinians to return to the negotiation table. The real missing upgrade is Palestinian willingness to talk peace.”

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The official also said that the British decision would not affect the bilateral relations between Britain and the Zionist state, as according to him, it represents a “symbolic step that lacks any practical significance”.

In the same context, the Israeli official played down the decisions to recognize an independent Palestinian state. “The Palestinian state will not be established by making remarks or goodwill gestures in London or South America,” he said.