RELATED:Clinton: US opposes Palestinian UN resolutionUNSC expected to vote on anti-settlement resolution“Following the phone conversation, President Abbas invited members of the PLO Executive Committee and the Fatah Central Committee to an emergency meeting to discuss the latest developments that were raised between the president and Obama,” the spokesman added.Sources in Ramallah said that the phone conversation dealt with the PA’s plan to seek a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning construction in the settlements. They said that Abbas rejected Washington’s demand not to go to the Security Council.The sources said that Obama made it clear to Abbas that the US would veto such a resolution so as not to jeopardize efforts to resume peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.Nabil Sha’ath, member of the PA negotiating delegation, said on Thursday that the PA leadership was determined to pursue its efforts to obtain a resolution condemning the construction in the settlements despite heavy pressure from the US.Sha’ath said that the US Administration has offered the PA to abandon its plan to seek a resolution on the settlements in return for a statement that would be issued by the Security Council and that would condemn the construction without holding a vote.He said that the PA would pursue its efforts to seek condemnation of Israel even after the US vetoes the resolution at the Security Council. The PA would go to the Quartet and other international forums, including the international court in The Hague, to force Israel to stop settlement construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, he said.“The US will lose a lot if it uses the veto to kill the resolution that is supposed to be presented to the Security Council on Friday,” Sha’ath cautioned. “The US is currently facing a test to prove its fairness and its objective role as the sponsor of the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. We hope that the US would refrain from using the veto.”Abbas, meanwhile, hinted on Thursday that his plan to hold local, legislative and parliamentary elections by September may fail if Hamas insisted on banning the vote in the Gaza Strip.“The presidential and parliamentary elections must take place in the West Bank and Gaza Strip,” Abbas told reporters after meeting with the president of East Timor.“It’s unacceptable to hold the elections in the West Bank without the Gaza Strip.”Abbas said that internal divisions were the most dangerous threat facing the Palestinians. “Our main goal now is to restore national unity,” he said. “We called for the elections so that the people would be able to express their views on this subject.”
Abbas calls emergency PLO, Fatah meeting over UN resolution
Announcement comes after PA president talks with Obama about PA's plan to seek UNSC resolution condemning construction in settlements; Obama makes it clear US would veto resolution so as not to jeopardize peace talks.
RELATED:Clinton: US opposes Palestinian UN resolutionUNSC expected to vote on anti-settlement resolution“Following the phone conversation, President Abbas invited members of the PLO Executive Committee and the Fatah Central Committee to an emergency meeting to discuss the latest developments that were raised between the president and Obama,” the spokesman added.Sources in Ramallah said that the phone conversation dealt with the PA’s plan to seek a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning construction in the settlements. They said that Abbas rejected Washington’s demand not to go to the Security Council.The sources said that Obama made it clear to Abbas that the US would veto such a resolution so as not to jeopardize efforts to resume peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.Nabil Sha’ath, member of the PA negotiating delegation, said on Thursday that the PA leadership was determined to pursue its efforts to obtain a resolution condemning the construction in the settlements despite heavy pressure from the US.Sha’ath said that the US Administration has offered the PA to abandon its plan to seek a resolution on the settlements in return for a statement that would be issued by the Security Council and that would condemn the construction without holding a vote.He said that the PA would pursue its efforts to seek condemnation of Israel even after the US vetoes the resolution at the Security Council. The PA would go to the Quartet and other international forums, including the international court in The Hague, to force Israel to stop settlement construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, he said.“The US will lose a lot if it uses the veto to kill the resolution that is supposed to be presented to the Security Council on Friday,” Sha’ath cautioned. “The US is currently facing a test to prove its fairness and its objective role as the sponsor of the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. We hope that the US would refrain from using the veto.”Abbas, meanwhile, hinted on Thursday that his plan to hold local, legislative and parliamentary elections by September may fail if Hamas insisted on banning the vote in the Gaza Strip.“The presidential and parliamentary elections must take place in the West Bank and Gaza Strip,” Abbas told reporters after meeting with the president of East Timor.“It’s unacceptable to hold the elections in the West Bank without the Gaza Strip.”Abbas said that internal divisions were the most dangerous threat facing the Palestinians. “Our main goal now is to restore national unity,” he said. “We called for the elections so that the people would be able to express their views on this subject.”