Spanish lawmakers on Tuesday urged their government to recognize Palestine as a state, albeit only when the Palestinians and Israel negotiate a solution to their long-running conflict.

A symbolic motion received the backing of all the political groups of the lower house.

Last month, British lawmakers voted in favor of a similar, symbolic vote and Sweden became the biggest Western European country to outright recognize a Palestinian state — prompting a protest from Israel.

The upper house of the Irish parliament also passed a motion calling on its government to recognize a Palestinian state last month.

Last week, France's governing Socialists said the National Assembly will vote this month on a largely symbolic resolution in favor of recognizing a Palestinian state, hoping it could help end the decades-long conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.

