RAMALLAH, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- European countries are mulling a new plan to revive the peace talks that have been stalled since 2010 between Israel and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), a Palestinian official said Tuesday.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said France, Russia and Britain are leading such efforts.
The core of the European plan envisages a Palestinian state alongside Israel in harmony, after a UN vote last week which recognized Palestine as a non-member observer state.
The initiative aims at preventing further diplomatic clashes following Israel's decision to speed up settlements building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians see as a future capital, the official said.
Several European countries summoned Israel's ambassadors to convey their opposition for the new settlement activities, which include the building of over 4,000 homes in areas that Israel has occupied in 1967.
The PNA welcomed the European initiative, stressing that it should work on terminating the recent settlement tenders.
The UN recognition of Palestine as a non-member observer state, based on the pre-1967 borders, constituted a reference for the peace negotiations, the official said. "Israel has the obligation to stop all its aggressive acts in these territories."
The United States, Canada and Israel were among the countries that rejected the Palestinian bid for the UN membership. Another 138 countries voted for the Palestinian request, while the 41 abstentions included Britain.
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