Kasselakis: Other EU states should recognize Palestine

Other European Union countries should follow Spain, Ireland and Norway's example in recognizing Palestinian statehood, main opposition SYRIZA leader Stefanos Kasselakis has said.

In an interview on state broadcaster ERT, Kasselakis, who recently returned from a two-day trip to Jerusalem and the West Bank, said the EU needed "to stand up and send a clear message" to Israel.

"The Netanyahu government, after years of provoking not only the Palestinian people but the Western world with its settlements in the West Bank, now has not only proceeded with a brutal massacre in Gaza but is also trampling on agreements in the West Bank," he said.

He questioned how the complete destruction of "75% of Gaza" can combat terrorism, describing Israel's operations in the strip as "ethnic cleansing , if not genocide."

Questioned why he did not meet with Israeli officials...