US presents plan for PA to defer UN bid for one year

[Jefferson23]

Washington aims to salvage Mideast crisis aversion plan, suggests PA be allowed to deliver statehood bid to UN but defer acting on it for 12 months

Associated Press Published: 09.21.11, 07:15 / Israel News

The US and its allies changed tactics on how to avert a crisis over a Palestinian statehood bid, as the White House announced Tuesday that President Barack Obama would meet Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. At the same time, US officials conceded they could not stop Abbas from officially launching his case for the Security Council's approval of the statehood effort.

But they hoped to contain the fallout by urging Abbas not to push for an actual vote in the Council, where the US has promised a veto, to give international peacemakers time to produce a statement that would be the basis for resumed Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.


Obama is expected to make a pro forma request to Abbas when they meet Wednesday not to proceed with his initial plan, but also make the case for the Palestinian leader to essentially drop the move for statehood recognition after delivering his letter of intent to the UN, expected Friday.


"The president will be able to say very directly why we believe that action at the United Nations is not the way to achieve a Palestinian state," said Ben Rhodes, the White House deputy national security adviser. He noted that Abbas has indicated his intent to go the Security Council, but said Obama "has made it clear that we do not believe that that will lead to a Palestinian state, that we oppose such efforts."

in full: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0%2c7340%2cL-4125177%2c00.html

[no_hypocrisy]

1. How many settlements can be built and how many can be evicted from their homes

(esp. East Jerusalem) in one year?

[leveymg]

2. Sure. Like the Admin. won't oppose statehood in the middle of the election next year? Give us a

break - there's no plausibility behind this latest bit of theater.

[mazzarro]

3. What will be different this time around?

These negations have been going on for many many years without end and each year the situation gets much worse. If the US will only summon the courage to say to the Palestinians that they will never realize their aspiration for separate state; rather they should instead seek migration to Jordan and Egypt as the Israeli's want them to - at least that will be more forthright and the rest of the world would then decide what to do - accept or do otherwise. This dancing around this issue is getting nowhere!

[jwirr]

4. IMO this is a devil & deep blue sea issue. Especially for the president.

The world is ready for it NOW. Israel is not. If he sides with the world - he could lose the Jewish vote. On the other hand if the world overrules him - which I think is very possible - he has lost nothing.

[Jefferson23]

5. President Obama at the UN:

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2011/09/watch-live-obamas-address/42749/

[bemildred]

6. Stall, stall, stall.

Delay is denial. It's been 20 years since Oslo, time to stop stalling and get on with it.

[Jefferson23]

9. That is the name of the game. n/t

[bemildred]

10. It is always the name of the game when this sort of BS is trotted out.

Stalling is a ubiquitous feature of US politics and foreign policy. US politicians prefer to rule over the rubble left by their own policies rather than let anyone else have power. "Get out of the way" is never an option.

Those of us old enough to remember various other long-running "peace processes" will recognize it well.

[Jefferson23]

11. It is deeply sad to witness...words just fail sometimes. n/t

[azurnoir]

12. Didn't Obama say this year last year?

To me this confirms something I read last February that Obama asked Abbas to wait until after the 2012 elections IMO this is more embarrassing than a veto, fools no one, and gives the 'other side' even more ammo to make sure Obama does not get re-elected

[oberliner]

7. I think this will be a winner

There are not nine votes in the SC right now, so this will probably be how it plays out.

[shira]

19. Yep, let's see how "desperate" the PA is to return to the negotiating table within a year. n/t

[hack89]

8. Smart move

gives the PA a chance to get Hamas in line. Will certainly improve their chances of success.

[Jefferson23]

13. Netanyahu thanks Obama for speech endorsing direct talks, Lieberman praises him too:

Netanyahu to Obama: Palestinian UN bid will not succeed

At joint press conference, PM thanks U.S. president for speaking out against any UN bid to declare Palestinian statehood in his speech to UN General Assembly earlier.
By Reuters and The Associated Press
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/netanyahu-to-obama-palestinian-un-bid-will-not-succeed-1.385861


Lieberman praises Obama's UN General Assembly speech

FM states that he does not resort to 'threats' against the Palestinians in light of their UN statehood bid; Opposition leader Livni says Obama correct to demand negotiations, emphasizing that UN speeches will not 'change a thing'.
By Natasha Mozgovaya
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/lieberman-praises-obama-s-un-general-assembly-speech-1.385863

[shira]

20. Well, if Netanyahu and Lieberman are for direct talks, that MUST be awful. n/t

[Jefferson23]

23. Lieberman: ... he would not support “even one day of settlement freeze.” n/t

[shira]

25. Considering the last freeze of 10 months didn't bring the PA to the table....

...what makes you think another freeze will?

I don't recall you or any of your buddies here being too disappointed with the PA during that 10 month term.

[Jefferson23]

26. The imaginary one in Bibi's head you mean.

Did you believe everything GW Bush told you too?

snip* The freeze is really a very thin layer of ice atop the river of settlement growth. Netanyahu says it will last just 10 months (of which three weeks have already passed) and no more. It doesn’t apply to Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem, where building of Jewish neighborhoods is intended to block a political division of the city between Israel and a Palestinian state. It also doesn’t apply to 3,000 or more housing units already under construction elsewhere in the West Bank. For example, in Modi’in Illit, a town of 38,000 or so people, work continues on more than 850 homes. A recent analysis by the Peace Now movement shows that relative to population size, the rate of residential building is higher in the settlements than inside Israel—even during the supposed freeze. In other words, the availability of homes will keep encouraging Israelis to migrate to settlements. Unnatural growth will continue.

in full:http://prospect.org/cs/articles?article=the_settlement_freeze_that_isnt

[Jefferson23]

14. Abbas spokesman: PA to resume talks if settlement construction stops

Published: 09.21.11, 19:13 / Israel News


Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' spokesman, Nabil Abu Rudeina, said in response to US President Barack Obama's UN address that the Palestinians are prepared to resume the peace talks with Israel pending the fulfillment of a few conditions.

"We are willing to restart negotiations the moment that Israel stops settlement construction and agrees to discuss the 1967 lines," he said. (Elior Levy, Ramallah)


http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4125684,00.html

[Jefferson23]

15. Government Secretary: Palestinian UN bid blocked

Published: 09.21.11, 19:29 / Israel News

Government Secretary Zvi Hauser deemed the Palestinian bid for UN recognition futile, saying that it "is now turning out to be a blocked measure."

Hauser told Ynet that "the world has realized that negotiations are the only key to a solution." (Attila Somfalvi, New York)

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4125693,00.html

[Jefferson23]

16. Sarkozy proposes 1-year map for Mideast peace

Published: 09.21.11, 19:21 / Israel News

French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Wednesday proposed the United Nations give the Palestinians status as an observer state while setting out a roadmap for peace within one year.

In his speech to the UN General Assembly Sarkozy warned that a UN Security Council veto of Palestinian statehood ambitions risked engendering a new cycle of violence in the Middle East. (Reuters)

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4125691,00.html

[oberliner]

22. Do you support this idea?

What are your thoughts?

[Jefferson23]

17. Erekat: We won't seek vote delay on UN bid

Published: 09.21.11, 22:03 / Israel News


A top Palestinian official says President Mahmoud Abbas has no plans to agree to a delayed vote on his bid for membership in the United Nations, rejecting mounting pressure to do so from the United States and France.


"We will not allow any political maneurvering on this issue," said Saeb Erekat, a senior aide to Abbas and former chief of negotiations. (AP)
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4125760,00.html

[Jefferson23]

18. Israel's UN envoy: We have yet to block PA bid but on right track

Published: 09.21.11, 22:27 / Israel News


Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Ron Prosor told Ynet that non-stop efforts are being made to prevent the Palestinians from submitting their statehood bid to the Security Council.


"So far, we have yet to succeed. We are midway but on the right track," he said. (Attila Somfalvi, New York)


http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4125767,00.html

[Jefferson23]

21. French FM: UN vote on Palestinian bid several weeks away

Published: 09.21.11, 22:45 / Israel News

The Security Council vote on the Palestinians' request for UN membership is still "several weeks" away, which should give diplomats time to thwart a confrontation, French Minister of Foreign Affairs Alain Juppe said Wednesday.


"It will probably take several weeks (before a vote takes place) and those weeks can be used to develop a strategy," Juppe told reporters in New York. The Palestinians are preparing to present their statehood bid on Friday. (AFP)

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4125771,00.html

[Jefferson23]

24. Senior Palestinian negotiator Nabil Shaath said Wednesday that the Palestinians' statehood ....

Senior Palestinian negotiator Nabil Shaath said Wednesday that the Palestinians' statehood bid at the United Nations is the only alternative to violence, stressing that the UN move will give the Palestinians the chance to promote their rights.


snip*"President Abbas doesn't want to suspect we are not serious by pleading to two committees," Shaath said. "We will give some time to the Security Council to consider first our full membership request before heading to the General Assembly."

Shaath explained that the UN move is part of a non-violent strategy to seek the support of the international community after Israel has not ended the occupation and widened the settlements.

"We are not seeking to join the mafia or al-Qaida, we seek membership of the UN. It will give us the right to promote our rights," he said.



snip* Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas holds his hands to his face as U.S. President Barack Obama speaks during the 66th session of the General Assembly at UN headquarters, Sept. 21, 2011.


in full: http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/senior-palestinian-official-un-bid-is-only-alternative-to-violence-1.385885