European countries back Palestinian statehood
Palestinian medics wheel a wounded boy into the al-shifa hospital in Gaza City following an Israeli air strike on November 14, 2012.
More European countries are joining France in backing Palestinian statehood. Britain remains on the fence, Reuters reported, saying that it first wants a promise that Palestinians will not try to prosecute Israel through the International Criminal Court.
Switzerland, Denmark and Austria said they would support Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' bid for semi-statehood. Spain also joined France in supporting the bid, The New York Times reported.
More from GlobalPost: When the BRICs Crumble
Palestine is technically pushing to win the title of non-member "observer state" in a vote that will take place on Thursday at the UN General Assembly, but the move would implicitly recognize Palestinian statehood, Turkish Weekly reported.
The United States is continuing to side with Israel, saying it will only support Palestinian statehood through a peace agreement with Israel. Germany is also siding with the US and Israel. "It is certain that Germany will not vote for such a resolution," a spokesman told Turkish Weekly.
Without federal support, local stations, especially in rural and underserved areas, face deep cuts or even closure. Vital public service alerts, news, storytelling, and programming like The World will be impacted. The World has weathered many storms, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to being your trusted source for human-centered international news, shared with integrity and care. We believe public media is about truth and access for all. As an independent, nonprofit newsroom, we aren’t controlled by billionaire owners or corporations. We are sustained by listeners like you.
Now more than ever, we need your help to support our global reporting work and power the future of The World.