ОВАМА: ISRAEL, PALESTINE MUST MAKE PEACE THE DEMOCRATIC FRONT FOR THE LIBERATION

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Frida FROM PAGE ONE / LOCAL NEW ОВАМА: ISRAEL, PALESTINE MUST MAKE PEACE OBAMA. FROM PAGE A- annexed east Jerusalem the territory Israel captured in the 1967 Six-Day War.

For Abbas, the move to the U.N. is tionalist aspirations without backing down on his demand for a freeze on Bank as a precondition for negotia- tions with he saemale in mose aiks and the popular uprisings in the Arab world make Abbas vulnerable to a rebellion among Palestinians, who are frustrated with the lack of progress toward statehood, and to malane au-stack groups such as Hamas, which won control of Gaza from the Palestinian Aumoney anes consecree aerons organization by Israel, the U.S. and the European Union.

For his part, Netanyahu faces oppo- sition from parties in his coalition gov- ernment to h alting construction of Jewisa settements in me west bank Citing Israel's security needs, he has sparred publicly with Obama over whener the nre. yor nouncenes of the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem should be the basis for ne gotiating the borders of a Palestinian state, with land swaps to take account or tator Jewish sclements and secu- rity needs.

Obama, in his address Wednesday. sue a eventua peace dea desenes on Israelis and Palestinians "who must live side by side," not a "shortcut" tinian state. 'One year ago, I stood at this podi- um and cleo tor an mcebendent Palestine, " Obama said. "I believed then, and I believe now, that the Pales- tinian people deserve a state of their own.

But what I also said is that a gen- une peace can only be reanzcu De tween the Israelis and the Palestinians themselves. 'The question isn't the goal that we seek - - the question is how do we reach that goal," he said. "And I am convinced at here is no shortcutto the end of a conflict that has endured for decades. interests.

A U.S. failure to veto a Secu- rity Council resolution on Palestinian statenood, il il comes to tal, would jeopardize Democrats' support from Jewish voters, as well as energize evangelical Christians allied with the Republicans.

That prospect was high- lighted by the Democrats loss of New York's heavily Jewish 9th Congres- sional District to underdog Republican bob turner in a special cleculon Sept. 13. Republican presidential candidate кіск remy rca mto wose tears, saying Tuesday that Obama emboldened Pal- estinian leaders to seek U.N. recogni- ton by demanding compromises trom the Israelis.

"Simply put, we would not be here today at the precipice of such a dangerous move if the Obama policy in the Middle East wasn't ous, nus the Texas governor said. arrogant, misguided and danger- Given the Israeli and Palestinian po- cons, may be He that Obama might have done to defuse the conflict over Palestinian statehood, U.S.

Mideast peace negotiator and a senior fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Washington Still, Obama never put his own plar on ine sole to testine wo sides. A so.

Miller said, Obama made several tacti- cal errors, notably raising Palestinian expectations Dy pursuing an Israel set- tlement freeze and then backing down in the face of Israeli objections '*He allowed his rhetoric and his good intentions to get way out ahead of reality, Miller said.

U.S. officials "made a big deal out Darrassing. sale Mussel DIsa.asen- ior research fellow at the American Task Force on Palestine, a nonpartisan cates a negotiated two-state solution.

They're equally frustrated by both sees ane nave coded a Dox of Dol your houses" attitude."* In addition, the administration is now preoccupied win comeste issues. principally efforts to revive the econo- my and reduce the deficit.

Miller said that neither Abhas nor Netanyahu is likely to begin negotiat- ing on the key issues of borders, secu- water and the rights of Palestinian ref- ugees until and unless the benefits of an aereement ourwe on me risks Israel made its key decision a year ago, when Netanyahu chose not to ex- tene a lu-mont Treeze on new con- struction in West Bank settlements.

The Palestinians had demanded the talks but agreed to begin discussions under U.S. pressure and in the final Extending the freeze would have triggered a conflict between Netanya- nu ane members ornis coverine cor- lition who grudgingly had supported the temporary freeze, including For- Yisrael Beitenu and the religious Shas FOR PALESTINIAN STATE 194 FULL) VOTE FOR THE RIGHT OF RETURN FOR PALEST REFUGEES UNGA 194 THE DEMOCRATIC FRONT FOR THE LIBERATION OF PALESTINE PROTESTERS WAVE flags and hold a banner Thursday in front of the EU embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, during a demonstration in support of the Pal- estinian bid for statehood recognition today in the United Nations.

Pales- tinian orriciais brusned aside a promised u.s. veto and pressure to abandon their bid for U.N. membership, saying they were determined to take their case to the Security Council. Q&A on Palestinian bid for UN membership Why are the Palestinians turning to the United Nations and what do they hope to achieve?

After nearly 20 years of failed peace talks, the Palestinians say they hope their application for U.N. membership will put the Mideast conflict back atop the international agenda, break the deadlock in U.S.-brokered negotiations by Increasine pressure on side ane cive meir onve tor statenood d boost.

Iner are rustrated ov what nev perceive as a us. bias towaro Srae and nope that the international community will set down new parameters for negotiations, such as endorsing the concept of using 1967 borders as a baseline for a new Palestinian state and declaring East Jerusalem its capital.

They say direct talks with te current sael covernment are tunie because rrime minister bentamin Netanyahu refuses to pick up where the last round of talks ended. Would success at the U.N. formally create a new state of Palestine? No. Palestinians declared their statehood in 1988 and several nations have formally recognized it. But the U.N. does not recognize states.

Only other states do tat, Ime un. accepted ralestine as a member state oriTIE upgrades the palestinians status trom nonmember entity to nonmember "state," it would serve as a de facto recognition of statehood. Why is Israel opposed? Though the Israeli government has endorsed the two-state solution, it sees unis move as an eno run around direct peace talks.

IStael says ralestinians want to avoid difficult negotiations and win concessions from the international community without having to give much in return. Israel says such a unilateral move would poison the already tense atmosphere and make future compromises harder.

Even a nonbinding U.N. resolution in the General Assemov Mat encorsed Tor examole me so borders or cas erusalem as a Palestinian capital would carry considerable weight in talks. Palestinian leaders would find it difficult to accept anything less. What's the U.S. position?

The Obama administration agrees that peace talks are the only way to resolve the conflict and has vowed to defeat the Palestinian application for full membership at the Security Council, which must approve new members and where the U.S. enjoys veto power. The U.S. is hopir to hold off on seeking a vote.

At the same time, the U.S. has long supported ne ralestinian drive for staterood, weieving resolution or the wideast connic construction of settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem as illegitimate and supports using 1967 borders as a starting point, with mutually agreed land What happens after the Palestinian application is submitted to the Security Council?

The bid would require adoption of a resolution by the Security Council, followed by a vote with a two-thirds majority (129 member states) in the General Assembly. What status do the Palestinians have at the U.N.? he Palestinian Authority is a permanent observer at the u.N. Inat means mi has the right to speak at the General Assembly. It doesn't have voting rights.

The European Union is another entity with observer status. Unlike the Palestinian Authority, it has been given almost all the rights of a member State. Ine Holy see, the diplomatic name tor the vatican, is alone in being a sovereign state with observer status. Is there another route they can go down?

While there is no other way to obtain full statehood status at the U.N., there are omer ovuers oven to cer cudsislatenova slatus The Palestinians may go directly to the General Assembly with a recognition resolution or do so after the failure of a Security Council membership resolution.

At least 120 nations have already said they recognize Palestine, so they have the majority needed to get the resolution adopted.

This route would shift the Palestinian Authority from its current status as observers in the session and the work or the General Assembly to status on a par with the Holy See of "nonmember state having received a standing invitation to participate as observer in the sessions and work of the General This would allow Palestine to sign treaties such as the Rome Statute that estaolinee me internationa Criminal count nus increasino ne likelinood or legal action against Israeli policies in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

General Assembly resolutions are not binding on other nations, and only serve as advisory statements with no obligation or enforcement.

That means mat aner me resolution basses. u.n. memoers do not nave to recoonize Palestine bilaterally. - Los Angeres mimes and bloomberg rews Netanyahu might have survived best offer Palestinians would ever get, their defections by bringing the main the official said. opposition Kadima party into his coa- Palestinian leaders say they feel ition, but instead he resisted pressure compelled to push for statehood noven me wan. because mey nave tend the freeze, said Mark Heller, prin- lost faith in Israel's willingness to ne- cipal research associate at the Institute gotiate a deal unless Palestinians have for National Security Studies al Tel harosining nower ny elevalins them Aviv University status in future talks *Even if Netanyahu believed that Critics of the high-stakes strategy, Abbas was Dunning on reacning a ne including loisn, say a snowdown could gotiated deal, he could have easily have been averted if Abbas had called that bluff by extending the set- dropped his demand for a settlement tlement freeze and bringing Kadima freeze as a precondition for talks after into the government," Heller said.

Obama was unsuccessful in persuad- Netanyahu basically chose domestid political considerations over diplo- moratorium. macy, and that helped bring us to the Meeting with reporters in the West Caesari Saicioud De Bank citv of Ramallah on Sept. 9.

Palestinians and some U.S. officials Abbas said he had had three meetings believe the Israeli leader has failed to during the past year with Israeli Presi- desaimon reres. wu win Derense the risks taken to confront terrorism Minister Ehud Barak and numerous and improve Israel's security, said a conversations with former British sule Department omicial wno spoke rnme minister tony blair, te repre on the condition of anonymity. sentative of the Quartet - the U.S., Another administration official, also the U.N., the European Union and commenting anonymously, said that Russia - that is trying to help broker looking back, the Palestinians rejected a Mideast settlement.

Those discus- a historic opportunity when Yasser Ar sions, Abbas said, failed to narrow the afat, then the president of the Palestin- gaps enough to resume peace talks. ian Authority, walked away from a Netanyahu on Wednesday thanked President Bill Clinton at Camp David supporting direct negotiations, rather in July 2000. That may have been the than the Palestinian resolution.

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"ОВАМА: ISRAEL, PALESTINE MUST MAKE PEACE THE DEMOCRATIC FRONT FOR THE LIBERATION," The Post Standard, 23 September 2011. Covering Palestine archive, CP-2011-009. https://coveringpalestine.org/archive/cp-2011-009