Palestinian statehood resolution to be presented at UN 12:30 New York time

Abbas said that the Palestinians will decide on their future moves regardless of the result of the vote, but did not elaborate.

By KHALED ABU TOAMEH
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at the UN Headquarters in New York [File] (photo credit: REUTERS)
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at the UN Headquarters in New York [File]
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas announced on Monday that the statehood resolution will be presented to the UN Security Council at 12.30 New York time today.
Abbas told Fatah leaders in Ramallah that he believes it would take 24 hours to translate the resolution. He said that the Security Council would then vote on the resolution, which calls for setting a timeline for an Israeli pullout to the pre-1967 lines.
Abbas said that the Palestinians will decide on their future moves regardless of the result of the vote, but did not elaborate.
Chief PLO Negotiator Saeb Erekat said on Sunday eight amendments have been introduced to the original draft resolution, adding that the Security Council would vote on it Tuesday or Wednesday. He pointed out that Jordan would present the amended resolution on behalf of the Palestinians and Arab countries.
Palestinian efforts to win support for the resolution would continue “until the last minute,” Erekat said, repeating earlier threats that the Palestinians would join international organizations and treaties if the US chooses to veto the resolution, which calls for setting a timeline for Israel’s withdrawal to the pre-1967 lines.
At least nine votes are needed for the resolution to pass. It was not clear by Sunday night whether the Palestinians had succeeded in winning the backing of nine members of the Security Council.
Although Erekat said changes have been introduced to the resolution, a senior Palestinian official in Ramallah said it was not different from the original one.
Ahmed Majdalani, secretary- general of the Palestinian Popular Struggle Front, said the original draft resolution, which was made public last week, complies with the national rights of the Palestinians. Attempts to change the wording of the original draft resolution have been strongly opposed by the US, he said, predicting that the US and Israel would exert pressure on members of the Security Council to refrain from voting in favor of the resolution.
Several Palestinian groups have voiced opposition to the original draft resolution under the pretext that it does not meet the aspirations of the Palestinians.
They claim the resolution equates Israel and the Palestinians and is “ambiguous” on issues such as settlements, Jerusalem, refugees, prisoners and borders.
Hamas called on the Palestinian Authority leadership to withdraw the resolution from the Security Council and “acknowledge” the failure of the peace process.
It warned that the proposed resolution includes “dangerous concessions” on the rights of the Palestinians, and criticized the resolution’s reference to Jerusalem as a “shared capital” of two states, saying the city will remain the capital of a Palestinian state only.
Hamas said it also was opposed to the content of the resolution because it does not allow “future Palestinian demands to Palestine.”
Khaledah Jarrar, a senior member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, said her group was opposed to the resolution because it does not meet Palestinian rights to self-determination and the establishment of a sovereign state with east Jerusalem as its capital.
Bassam al-Salhi, leader of the Palestinian People’s Party (formerly the Communist party), called for an emergency meeting of the Palestinian leadership to revise the resolution, saying the Palestinians must withdraw the resolution unless it is amended to meet the aspirations of the Palestinians.