BICOM

The Palestinian Authority officially announced on Sunday that it intends to seek United Nations recognition of a unilateral Palestinian declaration of statehood in September of this year. The announcement was made after a meeting at the headquarters of Palestinian Authority in Ramallah. The statement also confirmed the PA’s determination to implement the reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas and to form a Palestinian unity government. The statement announcing this decision stressed that it is not intended as an alternative to negotiations. Rather, according to the statement, the move is based on the Arab Peace Initiative, Quartet decisions and statements by US President Barack Obama. Both PA President Abbas and Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat claimed that granting UN membership to a Palestinian state could help bring the sides back to the negotiating table. The PA announcement on Sunday also included support for popular protests against Israel, like those taking place in Bili’in. This is of significant because it points to a PA strategy to pressure Israel both diplomatically and through actions on the ground.

 

The Palestinian announcement coincided with the beginning of a determined Israeli push to secure the votes of as many UN General Assembly member states as possible against recognition of a unilaterally declared Palestinian state. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman left Israel yesterday for Croatia, Albania and Austria, where his talks are expected to focus on this issue. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to visit Poland, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria next week, in order to seek their support in opposing the Palestinian declaration. A Palestinian application for membership of the United Nations requires the Palestinians to seek the support of the Security Council. The US is widely expected to veto a Palestinian application for membership, in the belief that a Palestinian state should only be established through negotiations with Israel. If the US does veto, the Palestinians are then likely to seek a resolution in support of their statehood at the General Assembly. The Palestinians are likely to have the support they need to pass a resolution at the General Assembly, but Israel is seeking as many ‘no’ votes as possible from democratic countries. Israel and the US argue that unilateral moves at the UN undermine the hope for a future negotiated agreement. The EU has also stressed its preference for a return to negotiations.