Friday, June 10, 2011
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled MeshaalThe other day I mentioned that Mahmoud Abbas had concluded that achieving statehood through the United Nations would not advance the Palestinian cause.
Now it seems that the Palestinians are feeling even more pressure from the United States and other countries and are now rethinking their push for recognition in September. In fact according to the Saeb Erekat (compulsive liar), during his visit to the White House this past week, he was told that the United States would veto a resolution calling for a declaration of a Palestinian state in the UNSC.
I would not be surprised at all if the Palesitnians announce sooner rather than later that they are dropping their bid for statehood via the UN.
I'd place good money that the PLO official cited by Khaled Abu Toameh was not Hanan Ashrawi.
Remember when Erekat resigned?
Now it seems that the Palestinians are feeling even more pressure from the United States and other countries and are now rethinking their push for recognition in September. In fact according to the Saeb Erekat (compulsive liar), during his visit to the White House this past week, he was told that the United States would veto a resolution calling for a declaration of a Palestinian state in the UNSC.
The Palestinian Authority may postpone plans to ask the UN in September to recognize a Palestinian state along the pre-1967 lines, a senior PA official in Ramallah said on Wednesday.Haaretz has some more information.
The PA leadership would discuss the possibility of postponing the move in return for US and international guarantees that Israel will refrain from "creating new facts on the ground" in the coming months, the official said.
"We are under pressure from the Americans and some Europeans to postpone the plan to ask for UN recognition in September," the official told The Jerusalem Post. "They are even threatening to impose financial sanctions on us if we don't comply."
The Palestinian leadership is sharply divided over the unilateral move to seek recognition from the United Nations General Assembly in September. While Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is determined to go through with the move, a group of senior Palestinians have said in closed conversations that they oppose it because they believe seeking recognition from the United Nations could do more harm than good to their cause.The AP has what they call an exclusive report, but I don't see them really adding much.
Two senior European diplomats who have been holding talks with the Palestinians over the past few weeks, as well as three Israeli officials - some of whom are not in governmental roles and some of whom are in senior government positions - told Haaretz that the Palestinians are debating the matter.
Among those opposed to the United Nations declaration are senior officials, including PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, former Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia and the former Palestinian UN envoy Nasser al-Qudwa. The latter's opposition is particularly significant because he is considered the most experienced Palestinian official when it comes to dealing with the United Nations. He is also considered likely to run for PA president after Abbas retires.
"More and more senior Palestinians are beginning to reconsider the approach to the United Nations," said a senior European diplomat who met about a week ago with two Palestinian ministers.
An Israeli official who met with senior Palestinians and who disagrees with the move said, "Some of them are beginning to understand that approaching the United Nations might hurt Israel, but it won't help the Palestinians."
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to the Associated Press Thursday, said Abbas would like to “climb down from the tree” and find a mutually acceptable formula for restarting negotiations, preferably based on ideas presented by President Barack Obama recently.I am sorry Mr. Abbas (I am not really sorry) you created this tree, it is your job to come down. Obama sent you up the tree with the settlement freeze, but this one is on you and only you.
At the same time, there is a widespread sense that Abbas, having advertised his intentions so prominently, has left himself with little room to maneuver and may proceed with the UN gambit simply to avoid a loss of credibility.
“We are trapped with September,” said one official. “We don’t know what to do after that.”
The misgivings reflect a growing realization that the project is problematic and promises a messy and unclear outcome that could change little on the ground — and might backfire politically or even spark new violence if Palestinians emerge disappointed with the result.
I would not be surprised at all if the Palesitnians announce sooner rather than later that they are dropping their bid for statehood via the UN.
I'd place good money that the PLO official cited by Khaled Abu Toameh was not Hanan Ashrawi.
"People do not negotiate their right to statehood. Rather, this is an inherent right," a PLO official lashed out Wednesday in the wake of US and German statements demanding Palestinian officials abort plans to seek UN recognition of statehood.In other news the Palestinians have picked up a new precondition, thanks Obama.
"Far from acting unilaterally, Palestinians are bringing their case for statehood before the United Nations, the world’s preeminent multilateral body. Self-determination and respect for the sovereignty of nations are principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter, making the UN a natural forum to resolve this issue," Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization's Executive Committee said in a statement.
The Palestinians demanded Tuesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accept a US initiative to return to the 1967 lines, the Washington Post reported.Jackson Diehl had reported that during a lunch briefing with Erekat at the Saban Center in Washington DC, Erekat had indicated that a settlement freeze was no longer a precondition. Erekat denied he did this.
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat announced in Washington Tuesday that his government was willing to suspend a UN bid for statehood declaration and renew peace talks if Israel accepts the plan for withdrawal to the '67 lines, laid out in a Mideast policy speech by US President Barack Obama.
Remember when Erekat resigned?
Note:
Will someone explain how any PLO/PA "state" can be considered by anyone in the West or UN, since the PA's are now united with Hamas? They are now under the same umbrella i.e. "one" organization! They can't be considered "moderate" and "terrorists" in the same breath - they are TERRORISTS, under the Hamas umbrella.
Bee Sting
