While it’s looking less like a tsunami, the Palestinian Authority’s effort to gain recognition in front of the United Nations General Assembly, may still generate a stream of sympathetic media attention, lopsided controversy and renewed pressure on Israel regarding the disputed territories.
Ynet reports that the PA is maneuvering to “soften” the language of a statehood bid in order to assuage European countries still on the fence about handing them recognition.
The PA’s surreptitious ploy is to temporarily create distance between themselves and Hamas, the terrorist organization bent on Israel’s destruction, for the time being. Of course, once the camel’s nose is in the tent, the rest of its body will soon follow.
The hope preventing such an action is with the United States, which is opposed to their bid. All eyes are now on the pressure focused on England and France to join the US. Germany said it will oppose a Palestinian state. Given the cards Abbas now has, he was in need of rethinking his game forward to NYC’s UN Plaza.
If his bid fizzles, the tsunami will become a trickle. However, should they move ahead and gain European backing, Israel can still be put into a nasty position opening itself to everything from lawsuits to pressure to relinquish control of the disputed land.
The Palestinians would bring this result on themselves, because as the Oslo accords state, “neither side shall initiate or take any step that will change the status of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip pending the outcome of the permanent status negotiations.” With the PA taking such an action at the UN, Israel should make it unequivocally clear to them what the consequences would be.