Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas leaves the podium after speaking
during the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly
at UN headquarters in New York on Sept. 27, 2012.
during the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly
at UN headquarters in New York on Sept. 27, 2012.
The Palestinian Authority (PA) has declared that despite pressure from the US and Israel, Palestinians will move ahead with a plan to become a "non-member observer state" at the UN General Assembly next month.
Last year, the PA attempted to seek status as a full member state at the world body but the Palestinian drive for full membership of the United Nations failed because of a lack of support in the UN Security Council.
"We will go to the UN regardless of any threats," said Tawfik Tirawi, a senior member of PA chief Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement in Ramallah on Sunday.
"I expect the Israelis to take punitive measures against us, if we win this status, but this is our choice and we will not retract it," he added.
The Palestinians are seeking "non-member observer state" status in the UN General Assembly, where success is highly likely since most of the members at the 193-member body are sympathetic to the Palestinian cause.
The move has prompted a furious response from the Tel Aviv regime. Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor warned that UN recognition would "irreversibly poison the atmosphere" and make it impossible to recommence “peace talks”.
"The Palestinians are openly declaring their intention to use this recognition as a weapon in an ever continuing diplomatic war they intend to wage against Israel," he said. "If they are going to wage a legal and diplomatic war against Israel, what are the odds of returning to the negotiating table?"
In November 2011, the Israeli regime accelerated illegal construction work in the occupied territories and froze the transfer of funds to the Palestinian Authority after the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) agreed to admit the PA as a member in September 2011.
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