'US says it won't support UN Palestinian statehood bid'

Palestinians goals will only be achieved through negotiations with Israel, US adviser Hale reportedly tells PA president Fayyad.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
David Hale 311 (photo credit: REUTERS)
David Hale 311
(photo credit: REUTERS)
The US will not support the Palestinians' plan to unilaterally seek independent statehood from the United Nations in September, US Middle East adviser David Hale told Palestinian Authority President Salam Fayyad in a meeting on Wednesday, Israel Radio reported.
Palestinian goals will only be achieved through negotiations with Israel, Hale emphasize to Fayyad.
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On Tuesday, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said that if the Palestinians obtain all of their requests and the UN General Assembly recognizes a Palestinian state, it will be difficult to get the Palestinian leadership to accept necessary compromises in peace negotiations.
Netanyahu made the comments during a meeting with President of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek in Jerusalem.
The prime minister said 30, and perhaps even 50, UN member states should be convinced to oppose the recognition of a unilateral Palestinian state.
After the meeting, Buzek said that the EU is interested in restarting peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, and emphasized that such negotiations are important for Europe also because of the threat emanating from Iran.
Earlier Tuesday, American and European officials were in Israel in a strong push to jumpstart the stalled peace process and thereby prevent Palestinian unilateral statehood at the United Nations in September.