Israel/Palestine
Related: About this forumPalestinian leaders prefer to turn to UN than extend peace talks, senior official says
Abbas is under pressure to resume unilateral action if Israel refuses to make concessions and peace talks fail to show progress.
By Jack Khoury | Jan. 2, 2014
The Palestinian leadership is pessimistic about John Kerrys upcoming visit and anticipates that the U.S. Secretary of State will try to exert pressure on the Palestinian Authority to extend the talks with Israel beyond the original nine-month deadline, a senior Palestinian official told Haaretz.
Most of the Palestinian leadership, both from Fatah and from the Palestine Liberation Organizations executive committee, are opposed to extending the talks due to recognition that in recent months no progress has been achieved. On the contrary, Israel has continued massive construction in the settlements on one hand and has been demolishing Palestinian homes on the other, the official said, and thats in addition to damage to property by the settlers and many other violations that have explicitly shown that Israel is not seeking an agreement.
Fatah sources have said that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will find it difficult to make a decision to extend the talks beyond their current April deadline unless he has a substantial accomplishment to show for the negotiations and would demand clear assurances from the Americans.
Most of the leadership is urging Abbas to turn to the United Nations, the source said, referring to the Palestinian desire to enhance its status in the international organization, and without a show of progress such as an Israeli commitment to suspend settlement [construction] or a recognition of the 1967 borders and a release of prisoners [beyond the four agreed upon phases], it would be impossible to get consent for continued negotiations beyond April.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.566575
oberliner
(58,724 posts)Considering the players involved, I see little to no chance of any kind of agreement on any of the core issues.
Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)reject it..but I don't know if they will. No surprise the message from the Palestinians is
to tell Kerry to go home...I would too.
oberliner
(58,724 posts)The gap between the Israeli and Palestinian leadership is as wide as its ever been.
Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)shira
(30,109 posts)Seems that by going to the UN, that's what Abbas is after. He just wants the occupation to end w/o having to sign any agreement.
How about yourself?
From Israel's perspective, they did this already in Gaza 8 years ago. The occupation there ended, but the world pretends it still goes on. What has Israel to gain from ending the occupation w/o a signed peace agreement?
R. Daneel Olivaw
(12,606 posts)WRT settlements and security zones it makes sense for them to take matter to the UN.
The USA is not helping the situation, and the present efforts are just another feather in the cap for continued land theft and apartheid.
oberliner
(58,724 posts)What would be the best case scenario?
R. Daneel Olivaw
(12,606 posts)I'm sure that the US will stymie and dissuade the Palestinians from doing this though so they can be offered get less and less with each passing merry-go-round of talks with the Israelis.
Israel has no intention of return of what they have thefted so it would be more advantageous for the Palestinians to take their case for statehood directly to the UN.
But yes, i know, the UN is just a racist and bigoted organization that hates Israel.
oberliner
(58,724 posts)The Palestinians have taken their case for statehood directly to the UN and the United Nations voted overwhelmingly to recognize a Palestinian state.
A state of Palestine has already been recognized by 132 countries, and the Palestinians have 80 embassies and 40 representative offices around the world.
I'm not sure I understand what else you want the UN to do.
R. Daneel Olivaw
(12,606 posts)It has limited recognition of statehood.
The UN General Assembly has voted in favor of granting Palestine Non-member Observer State status.
Did you even bother to read what I wrote, or are you just phoning it in again?
oberliner
(58,724 posts)So you think that's what they should be focusing on? Acquiring full UN membership?
How would that help improve the situation?
R. Daneel Olivaw
(12,606 posts)oberliner
(58,724 posts)How would changing their status at the UN to a full member state help the Palestinians? Wouldn't they still have all the same issues with Israel that they have now? What would be different?
shaayecanaan
(6,068 posts)theoretically they can petition the International Court of Justice, as other non-member states have done. They could ask the Court to formally declare that Israel is in breach of Article 46 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. That would be the closest thing to categorising the current government of Israel as war criminals. It may not make a huge difference, but it would probably make holidaying in Scandinavia a bit tricky.
The other thing they could start again would be joining UN agencies. It would be best to start with one that the US likes, such as the International Atomic Energy Agency. It would be even better if they could get Palestine on a few working groups and that sort of thing. The US might even find that they would need to consult with the Palestinians on international issues, which they would probably hate.
Another thing that the US hates is even being in the same forum with the Palestinians. Normally, people play nice and allow the US to speak before at international fora, notwithstanding the usual alphabetical order protocol (a notable exception was in South Africa, where the South Africans scheduled Palestine before Colin Powell). Instead, expect the UN to make the US representatives sit there and cop a jawboning from the Palestinians.
bit more details here:-
http://www.dipublico.com.ar/english/palestine-as-a-un-observer-state-does-this-make-palestine-a-state/
oberliner
(58,724 posts)They would not have to be a full UN member state in order to pursue what is described in those paragraphs.
shaayecanaan
(6,068 posts)He is saying that he will return to the UN. I dont think that he means the security council. He will probably do some of those other things that I just discussed.