Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas reaffirmed his desire Friday to pursue a full United Nations membership bid while also acknowledging the anticipated limitations of his controversial move.
“We are going to the United Nations to attain full membership” at the United Nations Security Council, Abbas said. “We are not going to bring independence. Let’s not exaggerate.
“We will continue to negotiate,” he said.
Abbas says he wants the Palestinian territories “to be represented in its natural borders,” calling disputed territories inhabited by Israeli settlers “illegal.”
“We want a seat at the United Nations, and we don’t want anything more,” Abbas said.
He says Palestinian leadership does not seek to “isolate the state of Israel, but rather isolate the policies of Israel,” saying he will head to the United Nations headquarters in New York “carrying olive branch with us.”
As regional pressure mounts over the prospective bid next week, U.S. diplomats have been scrambling to head off the burgeoning controversy, though some analysts suggest the decision to take the vote to the Security Council could reflect a political posturing by the Palestinian leader.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is also expected to attend the United General Assembly, has said the move could complicate the peace process and further destabilize the region.
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While the United States has vowed to veto a full membership application, should it actually transpire at the U.N. Security Council next Friday, the Palestinian government could also pursue the option of taking its bid directly to the General Assembly for a majority vote.
The Palestinians currently hold “observer” status, which allows their representative to speak in the General Assembly but not vote.
A successful vote in either body will not lead to established “state” with defined borders, but it would afford the Palestinian government an upgraded international status allowing them to pursue legal actions against Israel.
President Abbas is expected to personally submit the request for a full membership bid.