'Palestinians need just two more Security Council votes in bid for statehood'
Palestinian Foreign Minister says attempts underway to win over Gabon, Nigeria and Bosnia-Herzegovina, in quest for UNSC majority; U.S. has vowed to veto the proposal if it cannot garner a blocking majority.
By DPA Tags: Middle East peace Palestinian state UN
Palestinian officials have so far enlisted the support of at least six or seven members of the 15-member Security Council in their bid to gain United Nations recognition as a sovereign state, a senior official said Tuesday.
"They are trying to convince two or three more Security Council members to vote in favor of accepting Palestine as a UN member state," Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riad Malki said.
 |
The United Nations Security Council |
| Photo by: AP |
The Palestinians hope to enlist nine members behind them, even if "the U.S. is going to veto it and embarrass itself," he told Voice of Palestine Radio from New York.
For any decision to pass in the 15-member Council, nine affirmative votes are needed, as well as no veto by any of the permanent Security Council members. The United States holds a veto and has promised to use it, if necessary.
Even as Palestinian diplomats work feverishly to enlist the nine votes to achieve a moral victory - even if it results in a technical defeat - US diplomats were working frantically to muster a blocking minority of seven.
Washington wants to avoid having to use its veto and appear as having single-handedly foiled the Palestinian bid.
So far only Germany and Colombia, which receives much financial support from the U.S. for fighting rebels and drug lords, are said to be with the US and Israel. France and Britain remain unclear.
The Palestinians are trying to win over Gabon, Nigeria and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The first, west-central African state seemed to have made up its mind to vote for the Palestinians, but the other two remained hesitant, Malki said.
Portugal, earlier still defined as undecided, by Tuesday seemed inclined to vote with the Palestinians, Israeli officials said.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in New York Monday he would go ahead and submit the membership application on Friday, immediately after his address to the General Assembly's 66th session.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, ahead of his scheduled departure to the General Assembly session late Tuesday or early Wednesday, called on Abbas to meet with him in New York.
"I call on the chairman of the Palestinian Authority to open direct negotiations in New York, which would continue in Jerusalem and Ramallah," he said in statement from his Jerusalem office.
"I propose to President Abbas to begin peace negotiations instead of wasting time on futile unilateral measures."
Abbas replied he was willing to meet Netanyahu in New York, but for protocol purposes, not to relaunch negotiations.
"I am ready to meet any Israeli official at any time he wants, but to meet only for meeting, I think it's useless," he told Fox News.
Abbas has conditioned negotiations on an Israeli construction freeze in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. Netanyahu insists on negotiations without preconditions. The last round of talks broke off one year ago.
Malki said Abbas was under heavy pressure not to submit the application.
Europe is trying to convince Abbas not to go to the Security Council, but to the General Assembly, for a watered-down request.
"The president was clear in his position," Malki said.
"He told them we are committed to going to the Security Council for full UN membership and we will not accept anything less."
But a senior Israeli government official warned this would be a "mistake" that goes against past Israeli-Palestinian interim deals.
"It's impossible to impose peace from the outside. It won't happen," Mark Regev told correspondents in Jerusalem. Meanwhile, an opinion poll published Tuesday said the vast majority of Palestinians (83 per cent) support Abbas' bid.
The poll by the Ramallah-based Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) interviewed some 1,200 Palestinians in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza between September 15-17, and had a margin of error of 3 per cent.
Why Facebook Connect?
Comment on Haaretz.com articles with your Facebook login, and share your thoughts on your own wall.
- Latest
- Most Viewed
- Most Rated
- Open all
Israel's colonisation enterprise has being ongoing since 1968. It has taken over most of the land designated for Palestine and moved in its occupying population. While negotiations were going on, colonies were being build and expanding. East Jerusalem was annexed in contravention of international law. In the occupied territories, Jews live under civil law while Palestinians are under military rule. Their movement is constricted and controlled by the military, their lands taken, cut off from their livelihood by separating them from their fields by roads whose use is allowed only to Jewish colonists. The US has allowed this even facilitated it to go on for decades. These injustices, which the US government decries in other parts of the world, have now been internationalised and it is no longer a political case of the power brokers alone. Abbas has changed the dynamic. Israel can either negotiate and agree to end its occupation in all its forms or the palestinans, seeing that Israel has made a two state solution impossible must advocate for a binational state where Arabs and Jews will have equal rights and zionism will not be the domineering ideology that has brought about this sad chapter in the history of the country.
Um, okay.
America has so far vetoed at least 45 anti-Israel resolutions at the UN and has blocked official condemnation of crimes committed against the Palestinian population. Why special treatment for Israel. And they wonder why the world is 'against' them!. Enough is enough!
whatever the outcome Israel will pay for its crimes and occupation. Tsunami is gathering speed in the ME and will not stop/
Gabon can be lobbied, but is largely under Chinese business boots, Bosnia is torn between EU mganetism and Islam, and Nigeria is a corrupt mess with everybody converging on its Christian oil-rich Niger Delta, while the north is lynching Christians in the name of Islam. If money calls the shots, China calls the shots more than the EU. If idealism calls the shots, -there is no such thing except in discourse-, If Islamism or fear or it calls the shots, then count for all three voting for Palestine, and Obama will be pressed to veto a Palestinian state with Hamas-Iran ruling half of it. Once everybody goes home, the accusation world war III will be on motion.
Do they have a legal elected government? No. Abbas term expired a long time ago. The legal elected government never took control. Do they control their borders? No. etc... It is one thing to recognize their right to a state due to self determination, but it is quite another to declare that they are, when they clearly are not...
If it was possible I would give my vote to Abbas too. Nothing is more worse than corrupt US politicy. A lot of US tax is going to Israel and Israel is paying the US politicy. That's why the US is almost bankrupt. I hope the US people will awake in time.
Wait now, the US will veto a bid for Palestinian statehood? I thought Obama absolutely hated Israel. Hmm, makes me think, maybe Palestinian statehood is GOOD for Israel, so by blocking it, Obama is hurting Israel. Man, he is like a ninja warrior this Obama is...
So Natenyahu wants to talk now, he could have done that years ago, it had to come to head to respond and wake up. I think it is too late, Palestinians can not take you Bu...... it anymore, you have created a problem and now you want a quick fix. You encountered a good chess player that is cornering your king from all direction, you asking for a draw, he wants your neck
Why Abbbas wast his time even if he get 9 votes as long USA going veto it mean even less then GA vote iwll
"It's impossible to impose peace from the outside. It won't happen." This is exactly what happened in 1947. It was a multilateral decision, exactly like today. Why no one speak about the unilateral daily founding that Israel provides for the settlements that are in a territory considered as occupied by the entire international community?
If there is any justice in the matter, the US should be one of those two countries. That is, if the US Congress wasn't Israeli occupied territory.
Gabon is a member of the Conference of Islamic Cooperation and should give its vote to Palestine automatically. Bosnia-Herzegovina and Nigeria, it is true, try to walk a tightrope between Israel and Palestine, but both have embassy-level relations with Palestine (though not resident ambassador) and both have very sizeable Muslim populations. Portugal, in addition to being in favor of Palestine statehood, was carried into the Security Council by the 56 Muslim states. They wanted to keep Canada out, and I would be surprised if there was no understanding between them and Portugal that it would vote onside.
Only jews are allowed to go before the UN and get a state? Palestinians have the same right to have their own State too. Enough is enough!. Live and Let Live.
Abbas has all the cards.
This would practically be a game-clincher for him. And if he really wants to win this he'd tell the settlers that they can stay. They can stay and become Palestinians and enjoy all of the rights and privileges accorded to all citizens of Palestine regardless of religion or national origin. Israel has Arabs, Palestine can have Jews. It's the same thing.
The land of the corrupt!
In 1948 the Palestinians ( with the rest of the Arab world) did not accept the UN establishment of two states, Israel and Palestine. What next? Will Hamas seek an independent state in Gaza? How does the "world body of peace" work with and support the PA who's charter still calls for the destruction of a member state.
The PA is seeking membership in the UN. The UN cannot make Palestine a state, it is not within their authority or their purpose. Once Palestine becomes a sovereign state it can apply for UN membership. Until that time this is propaganda fodder.
Israel's very existence is only legitimate because of the UN. Don’t be so quick to condemn the UN. The only legal basis for the existence of Israel as a state is that the UN recognized it in the 1940's. Quite literally, with no UN there would be no Israel.
Exactly how did Israel becaome a state? I thought it was via the UN.
Israel did exactly the same thing back in 1947.
well then they didn't have the authority to create Israel according to your perspective
so no reason it shouldn't work for Palestine.
That leaves 12 votes in play, and they need 9 i.e. they can loose 3 and still get over the line. And your 4 possibles are: France, Britain, Nigeria and B-H. Obama is screwed: he has to rely on France, and they will have no qualms about voting "Yes".
in keeping with the current hypocrisy and double standards France will vote, "Yes" while retaining the ban on Burkas?
The world already knows that the US cannot be counted as unbiased member of the quartet and the feverish way it is trying to bully others into taking the same stand is lactually very embarrassing for them. Things will be different from now on.
The Palestinian People should pursue their dream and free themselves of American influence. America has historically misled Muslims of the Middle East in Favor of Israel. America sees no wrong in lying to the Muslims of the Middle East by allowing Israel to have the Atomic Bombs - Weapon of Mass destruction. If it were not for American Dollars, American Intelligence and American Manipulation the State of Israel would be history.
instead of the un-democratic, dictatorial security council, the united nations organisation"s general assembly should decide, advise, in that case, on that problem/issue. the security council can better integrate, with nato, eu etc.in the un-general assembly, strengethened, democratised/democratic, to represent the entire people/family of humanity an of mankind.
over the years. The US has certainly done it's share of heavy lifting. If the PA proceeds and defies every logical argument presented by the US Obama should slam down a veto, withdraw every dollar of aid and let Abbas go groveling for dollars to the states that gave them a yes vote. And those states will promise millions and then deliver pennies on the dollar. Get smart Abbas!
What could possibly be the logic for continuing to do what does not work???
What could possibly be the logic for continuing to do what does not work???
and israel receives 6B$ a year from bankrup America.
If the U.S. pulls monetary support from the PA, I am sure that other countries, including China will step in with their influence.
Right after israel.
Capitalism is not on the verge of collapse. The whole world is not going to embrace the Muslim religion. The US is the strongest economic and military power in the world.The US is the major contributor to the UN. Without US aid, more people will go hungry in the Arab world. Obama will use the US veto in the Security Council to block Palestinian membership. Obama will not be impeached for taking this decision. Congress will stop aid to Palestine. Republican candidates for the Presidency will blame Obama and voice their support for the Israeli position. The vote in the UN will not have any positive influence on the daily lives of Palestinians. There is a distinct possibilty that the Palestinian economy will implode, with negative effects for the individual Palestinians. The zealots on Israeli side will be happy. It enhances the possibility of annexation of (parts of) the west bank by Israel. The zealots on Palestinian side will be happy. It enhances the possibility of a military confrontation between Israel and Arab states. Statesmen would not be happy. However, neither side has any, so that is not important.
The first ruled by the Jewish lobby and the latter by Holocaust politics. So what is your point?
This way, the World can see who owns the US vote
The palestinians has the right to exist,the right to defend theirselves,and the right for a state just like israel
SC Member thinks, "Obama is too cowardly to stand up to Netanyahu, so why should I fear him?"
Obama sells Palestine's birthright for a mess of jewish votes.
Whether the Palestinians get the vote this time is irrelevant... the game is over and they have won and Israel has lost. If the Palestinians are blocked again it will just enrage world opinion even more and the forces to push Israel to the negotiating table will be even stronger. This is Israel's last chance for a two-state solution.... this is Israel's last chance of survival.
It is a sad day for America as it is clear to all who rules American ME policies. Voting against the end of occupation and freedom is totally contrary to true American interests and ideals.
First Obama begged Netanyahu not to end the settlement freeze. NO! Then Obama begged Abbas not to apply for statehood to the UN. NO! Now Obama is begging his allies on the security council not to vote for Palestinian statehood. Will the answer again be NO?
It is still a black eye for the US for brandishing the Veto. The US has disqualified itself from an unbiased role.
the problem with Bosnia is, that one part where genocide was comited on Bosnian muslims, The so-called Republika Srpska, has a veto, and serbian politicians have promised to support Israel, therefore Bosnia will not be able to decide because of Serbian veto. Bosnia will probably vote "undecided" :(
Like recognizing Israel as a Jewish state? So is that now out the door?
So I guess East Jerusalem is open to be entered into negotiations.
It is time the world community gave them full support. The US, Israel and other anti statehood countries, are going to look like anti democratic nations, and standing in the way of Palestinian freedom.
WHAT A STRUGGLE FOR THE PALESTINIANS, THEY THE PALESTINIANS HAVE CREATED THEIR OWN STRUGGLE.
The foundation stone of Zion itself is immovable though some of its superstructure was destroyed in the past. Those who attempt to lift and displace it with another faith will only be cut in pieces trying to do so, seeing the Maker Craftsman of the Universe laid it there for His eternal purpose.
No wonder Obama is putting so much effort into trying to prevent a UN resolution on Palestine from taking place. A vote will show the US in all of its isolation. Some 140 states are going to support an independent Palestinian state, the majority of the others will abstain, while the US will be joined by Micronesia and mostly other dependents. Not "leader" but "led", and not of the "free" world but by the Jewish Lobby's money that comes with strings attached. It will be a spectacle that Obama is praying to avoid, but doesn't know how. Too bad, but this is the failing of a good man who doesn't know how to exercise leadership."Either lead, follow, or get out of the way". The only option left for Obama is the third one.
US cannot Veto the General Assembly manuver, which will then allow the Palestinians to join International Court of Justice, which will enfore Palestinan right for self determination, 1967 borders, and other resoultion which US voted for. The US Veto will just bring liability to the US.
World opinion is driving this and world opinion will bring freedom to the indigenous Palestinians as it did for the blacks in South Africa.
At least with the security council vote--to shame the US. With the GA vote, recognition is a slam dunk.
They know the US will veto, so either? The US is playing trickster and will not veto or the PA wants to shame the US. Either way, there is dirty politics involved. Bottom line, the Palestinians have been trying for 63 years to get the whole Arab world to help them destroy Israel and this is just the next step... Europeans are stupid for thinking it is anything else.
The United States of israel will order stupid Obama?
It ibviously does not want to do so through the security council.
The right words should be: The US could create a Pal state tomorrow if israeli agents give the chance.
while netanyahu declares with his usual bombast and grand, sweeping hypocricy, that he is willing to open immediate negotiations with Abbas in NYC, he is ordering his ministers ot: "build, build, build. Whenever netanyahu issues these lies about his sincere desire to negotiate his real meaning is that the time wasted on talking is time for his government to continue on its relentless expansionism making a Palestinian state an impossibility. To verify my statement, just go back and check the record.
you mean: he is ordering his ministers to: "steal,steal,steal,steal.
You people are insane!!! Expanding a settlement is like building a house on your own property. These settlers purchased the land they live on. The owner SOLD it!!! The question of borders has nothing to do with settlements and it never has. If they end up on the wrong side of the border, then they made a bad investment and they will lose when they are relocated. BUt this has nothing to do with stealing. The whole debate over settlements is popular fiction, there is no value in it at all. Just another excuse by the PA to avoid negotiations on the one key issue, "the right of return" which they refuse to negotiate on. Learn history and think rationally.
we need nine, so we need bosnia and nigeria . get the story right
ie Jerusalem for Israel. Always, got that?
We've seen how far that attitude has got you. More isolation in years to come I guess.
Notice the refined implications :)
Ramallah has always been the center of Palestinian political life and Jerusalem the center of Israel's - for over 2,000 years by the way.
No way Israel will end up getting all of Jerusalem in the end. Even Clinton is saying 'Jerusalem and Ramallah' now