A new opinion poll by the global campaign organization Avaaz has found that a majority of people in Germany, France and the UK believe Palestinians have a right to their own state, and want their countries to vote in favour of a UN resolution to support recognition of a Palestinian state when it's discussed at the UN in New York next week.
The survey carried out online by YouGov on behalf of London-based Avaaz shows that in Germany 84% supported Palestinian statehood and 76% believed Germany should act now to recognize, in the UK the figures were 71% and 59%, and in France with IFOP, the figures were 82% and 69% respectively.
The results of the poll are published as European Union Foreign Ministers meet in Brussels to try to define a common position on the issue of Palestinian UN bid.
At a recent meeting in Poland they appeared to be deeply split on the question. While Spain is openly backing the recognition, France and Britain are still undecided while Germany, Italy, Holland, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria have said they oppose the move. But Sweden, Portugal, Norway, Malta, Belgium and Luxembourg might follow the example of Spain.
The EU wants to avoid a UN vote that would expose the divisions between the 27 member states.
The Avaaz poll shows that 59 percent in the UK supported statehood recognition in the UN, while in France and Germany the figures were higher at 69% and 71%, respectively.
As part of its campaign for Palestinian statehood, Avaaz installed a 20 metre high giant Palestinian flag in front of the EU Council and EU Commissioon buildings in Brussels urging EU backing of the Palestinian push for United Nations membership.
"913,171 people say: EU: Recognise Palestine," says the flag.
The group claims that more than 900,000 people have signed an online petition backing a Palestinian bid for UN recognition.
Ricken Patel, Executive Director of Avaaz, said: "The overwhelming majority of the British public have spoken - now David Cameron must listen. The Prime Minister has a clear choice: stand with the British public, and 126 other nations to support a Palestinian state and a new path to peace, or side with the US government which continues to push a failed status quo.”
"Cameron has played a critical role backing the Arab Spring’s movements for democracy and freedom from Libya to Egypt, now he must lead Europe to do the same for the Palestinian people, and stand on the right side of history," he added.
The Palestinian statehood bid has little chance of success because of opposition from the United States which has said it would veto it at the UN Security Council.
A veto would prevent a vote from being held at the General Assembly but the Palestinians may seek an upgrade of their status instead which would bring the issue up for discussion at the forum.
The United States and the European Union have recently stepped up their efforts to dissuade the Palestinians from seeking full membership in the United Nations.
They are seeking to restart direct peace talks between the Palestinians and the Israelis, which have been suspended for three years. But several diplomats expressed doubts that they would be successful and suggested that a US-EU back-up plan is now taking shape to convince the Palestinians to apply for a less controversial upgrading of their status at the UN, similar to the status of the Vatican.