Palestinian Authority bids for UN statehood
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas asks the United Nations to recognise a state for his people.
United Nations (UN) spokesman Farhan Haq said Mr Abbas had handed Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon a letter requesting full UN membership.
The security council must now consider the request, although it could take time.
Mr Abbas took the step even though Israel still occupies Palestinian territory and the United States has vowed to veto the country’s bid for statehood.
Mr Abbas told reporters: “It is not a secret that the US administration has done everything it could to prevent us from going [to the United Nations].
We are asking for our right, because we want our independent state. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
“But we’re going without any hesitation and we will continue whatever the pressure… because we are asking for our right, because we want our independent state.”
The Palestinian leader will set out his case in a speech to the UN General Assembly later. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will also take to the podium to argue that only direct negotiations between the two sides can lead to a Palestinian state.
But Palestine‘s bid to the UN is a sign that the country has lost patience with 20 years of fruitless peace talks sponsored by the United States, Israel’s main ally. It also suggests growing alarm that Israeli settlement expansion is eating into Palestinian territory – as well as being a sign of the dwindling influence in the Middle East post Arab Spring.
Applying procedure at the UN
America has been busy applying “procedure” behind the scenes on the members of the UN Security Council, who on Monday still dared to think of voting for Palestine’s application for statehood. Colombia has apparently fallen in line behind its big neighbour to the north.
Read more from Washington Correspondent Matt Frei’s blog on US procedure and Palestinian statehood