Russia to support Palestinian bid for Security Council mandate for statehood

Abbas vowed last month to join the International Criminal Court at The Hague in the event that his efforts at the UN Security Council failed.

By TOVAH LAZAROFF
Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem (photo credit: REUTERS)
Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Russia plans to back a Palestinian United Nations Security Council resolution which sets a deadline for two-state solution that includes an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank and east Jerusalem by November 2016.
Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov announced his country’s position on Sunday at a donor conference for Gaza that drew representatives from 50 nations, including US Secretary of State John Kerry.
Both Russia and the US are permanent members of the 15 nations that comprise the UN Security Council and both countries have veto power.
Although Russia is a member of the Quartet, that calls for a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it also has a history of supporting unilateral Palestinian statehood initiatives, particularly at the UN.
It has already recognized Palestine as a state. In 2012 it supported the UN General Assembly resolution that granted Palestine de-facto statehood recognition by up-grading its status before the international body from that of an observer nation to a non-member state.
According to the English language website of the Russian news agency RIA Novosti, Bogdanov spoke with journalists in Cairo about his country’s support for the Palestinian UNSC resolution.
“I cannot see any reasons to cavil about this text, or about Palestinian people’s wish to say once again ‘let’s have a look at this situation in the UN framework’. So we say [to Palestinians], if you find one option or another suitable, then we will support you as friends. You know better what you need and how to achieve it. We think that the Palestinian case is fair, meaning that people have a right to self-determination, up to establishing their state,” Bogdanov said.
At the Cairo donor conference, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called on the international community to follow suit.
“The international community is called upon now more than any time before to support our bid to obtain a UN Security Council resolution that sets forth a time-ceiling for ending the occupation and engaging in serious negotiations to solve all final status issues,” Abbas said.
“This starts with delineation of the borders within a specific timeframe that is in line with our obligations towards achieving a just and comprehensive peace that guarantees security and stability for all peoples and countries in the region,” he said.
“Has the time not come for righteousness and justice to prevail in Palestine? Has the time not come for this historic injustice against our people to end?” Abbas asked.