Oregon lawmaker leads call for U.S. to recognize Palestine as a state

Oregon Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley on Thursday introduced a resolution to recognize Palestine as a state.

The effort, also sponsored by several other Democrats, is the first of its kind in the U.S Senate, Merkley said . It calls on President Donald Trump to recognize a “demilitarized Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel.”

The resolution is unlikely to move forward in the Republican-controlled Senate, especially as Republicans have grown more skeptical of a two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Merkley said he has advocated for a two-state solution to “support peace and stability across the Middle East.”

“Recognition of a Palestinian state is not only a practical step the United States can take to help