PA’s UN bid set to succeed
ISRAEL and the United States were still engaged in efforts yesterday to thwart Mahmoud Abbas’s plan to seek a status upgrade at the UN General Assembly today (Thursday), but chances of halting the bid appeared very unlikely. The Palestinian bid was set to receive the support of over 150 states.
The proposal would implicitly recognise Palestinian statehood. It could also grant access to bodies such as the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, where the Palestinians could file complaints against Israel.
A senior US administration official has said that Abbas’s decision to take his bid for non-member observer status to the UN was unwise and would not bring the Palestinians any closer to realising their legitimate aspirations for statehood.
He said that the bid created “a negative atmosphere” and complicated efforts to restart peace talks and promote a two-state solution.
According to the official, Washington was focusing on one task – persuading the Palestinians to withdraw their bid and getting as many nations to vote against it.
He hinted that the status upgrade would have an effect on the US’s financial aid to the Palestinian Authority.
On Monday, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu convened his top nine ministers to discuss Israel’s policy ahead of the vote. Several ministers were absent from the meeting due to the Likud primaries and no decisions were reached.
A senior official said that Jerusalem will not be able to ignore the bid if it is adopted. He estimated that Israel will respond with penal measures such as freezing funds, adopting parts of the Edmond Levy Report and revoking VIP cards for senior PA officials.
However, Israel will likely heed the US request and not take any harsh steps such as revoking the Oslo Accords, annexing settlements and overthrowing Abbas. These are only likely if and when the PA tries to prosecute Israel in the ICC.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry has instructed all Israel missions to refuse to accept official letters containing the words “State of Palestine”.
France, meanwhile, announced on Tuesday it would vote in favour of Palestinian non-member status at the United Nations, boosting Palestinian efforts to secure greater international recognition.
“This Thursday or Friday, when the question is asked, France will vote yes,” Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius announced in the French National Assembly, adding: “It is only with negotiations between the two sides … that a Palestinian state can become a reality.”
ITAMAR EICHNER/YNETNEWS.COM
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