Middle East Monitor / August 30, 2022
The administration of US President Joe Biden warned the PA against applying to the Security Council to accept Palestine as a full member state of the UN, warning that in such a case, the US would veto the resolution according to officials quoted by Israel’s Walla! news site.
A few weeks ago, the PA announced that it would renew its efforts to be accepted as a full member state of the UN and put the issue to a vote in the Security Council during the annual meeting of the UN General Assembly in New York next month.
According to the Israeli site, a few weeks ago, the Palestinian ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour, began quiet talks with members of the Security Council in New York regarding a possible vote to accept Palestine as a full member state.
The Palestinians discussed the issue with senior officials in the American administration, who expressed strong reservations and indicated that such a step would not lead to any political progress. They added that the US would use its veto if the issue was put to a vote.
In November 2012, the Palestinians managed to obtain an observer state status, which is less than full membership status in the international organization.
Since then, the Palestinians have tried several times to get a vote in the UN Security Council regarding their acceptance as a full member state to the UN, but have been unable to get the 9 out of 15 votes needed to hold a vote on the issue.
A senior State Department official said the US is committed to a two-state solution and is focused on creating conditions that will allow for the resumption of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.
The senior State Department official said the only realistic way to a peaceful solution is through direct negotiations between the two parties. There are no shortcuts to a Palestinian state without negotiations with Israel.
In the same context, Hadi Ammar, the official in charge of the Israeli-Palestinian file at the US State Department, arrives today, Tuesday, on a visit to Israel and the PA. He plans to meet with senior Israeli officials and President Abu Mazen.
The issue of the Palestinian action in the UN will be one of the main topics that he will discuss with Abu Mazen.
