On 17 February 2008, the Parliament of Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia. Three days later, Yasir ‘Abid Rabbuh, senior aide to Palestinian pres. Mahmud Abbas, told the Voice of Palestine radio that Palestinians should follow the example of Kosovo and unilaterally declare independence since Israel is not serious about reaching a peace deal. Abbas and Israeli officials immediately dismissed ‘Abid Rabbuh’s statement. Later that same day, during the daily press briefing at the U.S. Department of State, a reporter posed a question about parallels between Palestine and Kosovo. The following transcript provides excerpts of the ensuing exchange The full transcript is available online at www.state.gov.
