The PA, meanwhile, is pursuing its efforts to secure the support of at least nine members of the UN Security Council in favor of its statehood bid, which it announced last month at the UN. In order for the PA to be accepted as a member state of the UN, it must first get a recommendation from the Security Council. For this, at least nine of the council’s 15 members must vote in favor.The PA official said there was “optimism” in Ramallah that the Palestinians would be able to get nine votes on the Security Council. Even if it does, however, the US has made clear it would veto the move.Nevertheless, the PA’s “optimistic” assessment of garnering nine votes, and thereby forcing the US to use its veto, was not universally shared, with a Western diplomatic official saying that it appeared that all the EU countries on the Security Council – France, Britain, Germany and Portugal – would not support the bid.While Portugal has long been considered one of the least supportive countries of Israel inside the EU, the country – facing severe economic difficulties – voted in a center-right government in the summer to replace a government led by the country’s Socialist party, leading to a slight shift toward Israel.The official also said that Bosnia-Herzegovina, as a “potential candidate country” for EU accession, was likely to vote with the other EU states.One other country of the 15 – among Colombia, Nigeria or Gabon – would have to vote against or abstain, as well to deprive the Palestinians of their nine votes.Colombia and Israel have close ties, and Nigeria’s president indicated to Defense Minister Ehud Barak when they met at the UN in September that his country would not support the Palestinian move.The other countries on the Security Council – Russia, China, Brazil, India, Lebanon and South Africa – are widely expected to vote for the PA move.PA negotiator Nabil Sha’ath said the Palestinians have launched a “diplomatic offensive” aimed at winning the backing of as many countries at the UN as possible for its statehood effort.He pointed out that until a few months ago only 94 countries supported the statehood bid, whereas today the number stands at 131 – two-thirds of the 193 members of the UN General Assembly. If the PA received a Security Council recommendation, it would need to win a two-thirds majority in the General Assembly to be accepted as a member state.“The only countries that vote against in the UN General Assembly are the US, Israel, a tiny country called Micronesia, which has a population of 50,000, and sometimes Canada,” Sha’ath said. “If the US vetoes our application, we have a number of options, including going to the UN General Assembly.”Without a Security Council recommendation, however, the most the PA could get in the General Assembly would be an upgrade of its status from “observer” to non-member state.Sha’ath warned that if the Security Council continues to delay the vote over the statehood application, the PA would ask for a special session of the council to look into the matter. However, he pointed out that until now there was no delay because the application was being reviewed by a legal committee of the Security Council.Sha’ath ruled out the possibility that the Palestinians would resort to violence if the application is not approved.
Quartet envoys to meet before deadline to resume talks
“We’re not pinning high hopes on the Quartet meeting,” PA tells 'Post'; optimistic that the Palestinians will get votes for statehood bid.
The PA, meanwhile, is pursuing its efforts to secure the support of at least nine members of the UN Security Council in favor of its statehood bid, which it announced last month at the UN. In order for the PA to be accepted as a member state of the UN, it must first get a recommendation from the Security Council. For this, at least nine of the council’s 15 members must vote in favor.The PA official said there was “optimism” in Ramallah that the Palestinians would be able to get nine votes on the Security Council. Even if it does, however, the US has made clear it would veto the move.Nevertheless, the PA’s “optimistic” assessment of garnering nine votes, and thereby forcing the US to use its veto, was not universally shared, with a Western diplomatic official saying that it appeared that all the EU countries on the Security Council – France, Britain, Germany and Portugal – would not support the bid.While Portugal has long been considered one of the least supportive countries of Israel inside the EU, the country – facing severe economic difficulties – voted in a center-right government in the summer to replace a government led by the country’s Socialist party, leading to a slight shift toward Israel.The official also said that Bosnia-Herzegovina, as a “potential candidate country” for EU accession, was likely to vote with the other EU states.One other country of the 15 – among Colombia, Nigeria or Gabon – would have to vote against or abstain, as well to deprive the Palestinians of their nine votes.Colombia and Israel have close ties, and Nigeria’s president indicated to Defense Minister Ehud Barak when they met at the UN in September that his country would not support the Palestinian move.The other countries on the Security Council – Russia, China, Brazil, India, Lebanon and South Africa – are widely expected to vote for the PA move.PA negotiator Nabil Sha’ath said the Palestinians have launched a “diplomatic offensive” aimed at winning the backing of as many countries at the UN as possible for its statehood effort.He pointed out that until a few months ago only 94 countries supported the statehood bid, whereas today the number stands at 131 – two-thirds of the 193 members of the UN General Assembly. If the PA received a Security Council recommendation, it would need to win a two-thirds majority in the General Assembly to be accepted as a member state.“The only countries that vote against in the UN General Assembly are the US, Israel, a tiny country called Micronesia, which has a population of 50,000, and sometimes Canada,” Sha’ath said. “If the US vetoes our application, we have a number of options, including going to the UN General Assembly.”Without a Security Council recommendation, however, the most the PA could get in the General Assembly would be an upgrade of its status from “observer” to non-member state.Sha’ath warned that if the Security Council continues to delay the vote over the statehood application, the PA would ask for a special session of the council to look into the matter. However, he pointed out that until now there was no delay because the application was being reviewed by a legal committee of the Security Council.Sha’ath ruled out the possibility that the Palestinians would resort to violence if the application is not approved.