ID :
208553
Wed, 09/21/2011 - 11:56
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/208553
The shortlink copeid
Islamic Jihad Leader: Palestine UN Membership Plan Aimed at Resuming Reconciliation Talks
TEHRAN (FNA)- Palestinian Islamic Jihad Leader in Gaza Ahmad al-Modallal criticized Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for pressing its plan to request UN membership for Palestine, and called it a tactic to resume reconciliation talks with Israel.
The PA president's efforts at the UN to gain recognition of a Palestinian state by the members is a "tactic to return to the reconciliation talks", Modallal told FNA on Wednesday.
He said that Abbas has now turned to the UN empty-handed and he has no leverage to materialize the rights of the Palestinians, and said his bid will fail and all people and groups will blame him for this failure.
"Abbas could have better cards in his hand, but he, with full disrespect to this fact, turned to the UN in a fully unilateral move.
"Therefore, he himself will be responsible for the failure that everyone is expecting," the Islamic Jihad leader stressed.
After years of stalemate in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, the Palestinian Authority has now turned to the United Nations in a bid to improve its diplomatic and legal standing vis-à-vis Israel.
Palestine currently has "observer" status at the UN and is seeking an elevated status within the organization by obtaining recognition as a "state" through a Security Council resolution, which the United States has pledged to veto, or by pursuing nonmember observer state status through the General Assembly.
Almost two-thirds of the UN's member states - representing more than 75% of the world's population - already formally recognize the Palestinian state in some form.
Head of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas is pressing forward with plans to formally request UN membership this Friday, despite a US pledge to veto the membership bid. Raising Palestine to full statehood would need to pass the UN Security Council - where it is subject to veto - and then a vote at the general assembly, comprising all 193 UN member states.
However, certain members of the UN at the general assembly make attempts to raise Palestine's status from "permanent observer" to "non-member observer state", a largely symbolic vote, without Security Council approval in stead of granting a member state status to Palestine.
The PA president's efforts at the UN to gain recognition of a Palestinian state by the members is a "tactic to return to the reconciliation talks", Modallal told FNA on Wednesday.
He said that Abbas has now turned to the UN empty-handed and he has no leverage to materialize the rights of the Palestinians, and said his bid will fail and all people and groups will blame him for this failure.
"Abbas could have better cards in his hand, but he, with full disrespect to this fact, turned to the UN in a fully unilateral move.
"Therefore, he himself will be responsible for the failure that everyone is expecting," the Islamic Jihad leader stressed.
After years of stalemate in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, the Palestinian Authority has now turned to the United Nations in a bid to improve its diplomatic and legal standing vis-à-vis Israel.
Palestine currently has "observer" status at the UN and is seeking an elevated status within the organization by obtaining recognition as a "state" through a Security Council resolution, which the United States has pledged to veto, or by pursuing nonmember observer state status through the General Assembly.
Almost two-thirds of the UN's member states - representing more than 75% of the world's population - already formally recognize the Palestinian state in some form.
Head of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas is pressing forward with plans to formally request UN membership this Friday, despite a US pledge to veto the membership bid. Raising Palestine to full statehood would need to pass the UN Security Council - where it is subject to veto - and then a vote at the general assembly, comprising all 193 UN member states.
However, certain members of the UN at the general assembly make attempts to raise Palestine's status from "permanent observer" to "non-member observer state", a largely symbolic vote, without Security Council approval in stead of granting a member state status to Palestine.
