Palestinians to renew drive next month

The Palestinians will next month renew a bid to upgrade their status at the United Nations, their foreign minister said yesterday, a move which could strengthen their statehood claims after talks with Israel stalled.
Palestinians are listed as a UN observer "entity" with no voting rights. They will ask to be made a non-member observer state at the UN General Assembly on September 27, Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki told reporters in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
Such status, akin to the Vatican's, would be an indirect recognition of their claims on statehood in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip. It would allow them to join a number of UN agencies, as well as the International Criminal Court.
The Palestinians say Israeli settlement-building on occupied West Bank land has stymied prospects for a bilateral statehood deal. Disagreement over the issue led to negotiations stalling in 2010.
Malki said President Mahmoud Abbas would make the status request in a speech and the Palestinians would then lobby for support among UN member states, many of which are sympathetic to the campaign and regard the West Bank settlements as illegal.
A simple majority vote in the 193-member General Assembly would be enough to bestow non-member observer status, bypassing the Security Council - where the United States, Israel's ally, has a veto.
"We are looking forward to getting 180 votes," Malki said. "We will become a non-member (observer) state in 2012."
Once that was achieved, he said, the Palestinians would pursue full UN membership. However that would require approval by the Security Council - and Washington.
A similar campaign by the Palestinians last year proved short-lived amid opposition from Israel and the United States, which said a Palestinian state should be founded in agreement with Israel.
Israeli officials had no immediate response to Malki's announcement.
Malki's remarks appeared to signal the Palestinians might put off the General Assembly vote at the United Nations until after the US election in November, in the run-up to which President Barack Obama would be mindful of his pro-Israel constituency.