European Union states went on wrangling on Friday over who would take in 13 exiled Palestinians under a deal with Israel that ended the Bethlehem Church of the Nativity siege, diplomats told Reuters.
Diplomatic sources said there had been progress on a compromise for the future legal status for the group. But disagreement continued over distribution of the 13 among six EU member states which have agreed to take them in.
Spain, Italy, Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Belgium, which have all volunteered to accept some of the men, could not agree on how many each country should take.
No further ambassadors' meeting was planned for the immediate future. Spain, currently presiding the EU, will remain in touch with other members over the issue and EU foreign ministers were expected to discuss it informally during meetings in Madrid this weekend, diplomats said.
"It's a purely political question," one diplomat said: "Without agreement on how to distribute the 13, there can be no formal agreement on their legal status."
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi told journalists in Madrid that Rome was willing to take up to three for "a provisional, 12-month stay with a need for protection and without the possibility to travel freely to other countries".
EU diplomats said member states were set to grant the 13 Palestinians "exceptional permission to stay" under national law, with police surveillance and without the right to go abroad. (Albawaba.com)
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