Abbas: New Passports Will Refer to Palestinian State

Mahmoud Abbas says that the Palestinian Authority proposes to change its name on passports it issues to State of Palestine.

Abbas says this will happen in about a year at the most, replacing the name Palestinian Authority.

He spoke after talks with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. Abbas arrived in Greece on Sunday, and is due to address the country’s Parliament on Tuesday.

The parliamentary Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee has unanimously called on the Greek government to recognize Palestinian statehood.

However, the recognition will not be by the Greek government, in order “not to disturb good relations with Israel,” as it was put in a statement released by the Greek foreign ministry.

“We must underline the imperative need to begin a substantial, credible peace process but with a clear political target. A process that will give hope again to the Palestinian people, but also to the Israeli people, for a better future, for a peaceful coexistence of two peoples in the same region,” the Greek premier said.

Tsipras’s leftist-led government is trying to balance improved relations with Israel with his party’s longstanding support for a Palestinian state. Tsipras visited Israel last month, meeting with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. He also met with Abbas in Ramallah.