'Palestinians have a strategy if statehood bid is vetoed'

Fatah official Nabil Shaath tells Ma'an: If September plans fail, Palestinians will seek to join all UN organizations, return to UNSC.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
UN Security Council_311 (photo credit: Reuters)
UN Security Council_311
(photo credit: Reuters)
If the UN bid for Palestinian statehood should fail this month, Palestinian leadership would work first to gain membership to every UN organization and then resubmit their bid to the Security Council, senior Fatah official Nabil Shaath told the Ma'an news agency on Sunday.
The United States has made it clear that they would veto the vote later this month, making it impossible for the resolution to pass. However, the General Assembly could still upgrade the Palestinians' status from observer status to that of a non-member state. This change would allow them to join a number of UN bodies and conventions.
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Shaath also said that he is confident that Europe will support the statehood bid, and that "Palestinians would not return to negotiations in light of the US and Israeli positions."
Shaath's statement came a day after The New York Times reported that Washington has launched an effort to avoid a clash stemming from plans by Palestinians to seek recognition as a state at the United Nations.
The Obama administration has introduced a plan to restart peace talks with Israel to try to convince Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to give up the bid to seek recognition at the annual meeting of leaders at the UN General Assembly, it said.
Senior US officials and foreign diplomats, whom the Times did not identify, said the administration wanted to avoid having to cast a veto as well as a General Assembly vote that would leave only the United States and a few other nations opposed to Palestinian nationhood.
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