PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) ignored threats by Israeli leaders who promised to take unprecedented harsh steps in reaction to the unilateral PA (Palestinian Authority) move, applying for non-member observer status in the United Nations. It is now certain to all that Abu Mazen will make his case on Thursday, 15 Kislev 5773, and the international body will usher in the PA as an observer nation with open arms, by a large majority. Even the White House’s threats and pressure on Ramallah were in vain, with Abu Mazen realizing he needs something big to boost his waning popularity, and this appears to be it.
In Yerushalayim, national leaders have come to terms with this realization and despite threats of a “harsh unilateral response”, most analysts predict Israel will sit back quietly and accept this new reality, which according to most is a significant step towards Palestinian statehood.
Nevertheless, the Forum of Nine ministers will most likely take some action, if nothing else but to save face, but this is yet to be determined.
Despite staunch US efforts to play its diplomatic deck, seeking to get France and others to back down from a commitment to back the PA move, Paris intends to raise its hand in favor of granting the PA observer status. The same hold true for other European nations, including Denmark, Spain, Norway and Switzerland. Germany will not support the bid, and the UK and Italy have signaled they will abstain.
In an almost pathetic move, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman is calling for withholding 750 million NIS from the next transfer of tax funds to the PA, monies owed to the Israel Electric Company. Sadly, the Israeli utility has to wait for a major diplomatic row to get paid for providing electricity to PA areas.
Security forces throughout Yehuda and Shomron will be on alert for a likely escalation in violence on Thursday, Friday and possibly throughout the weekend.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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4 Responses
The towel heads want to become a state? Make them pay their way. Pay for what Israel provides them with, like the electric power as stated in the article, but not just one time. Make it a pay as they use and if they don’t pay just cut off their power just the way the power company would do to an Israeli. Make them pay a membership fee at the U.N. and throw them out if they don’t. A terrorist state should not be part of the U.N. body, even though the U.N. is useless.
Repent, recognize the rights of Israel, or go home to your smelly rugs.
The UN already has a number of terrorists states as members including Iran, Syria, Malaysia, Somalia and Sudan. It also includes in its ranks many countries run by gangs of thugs such as Cuba, Venezuela and Mali. What is one more.
Crusing both terrorist groups hamas and the plo would leave no one to run a rogue welfare state. End of statehood questions for 20 years
I remember from nearly twenty years ago, when the “peace process” was started, our gedolim warned that it was being done “without sechel.” They should have been heeded.