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On Europe Trip, Obama to Argue Against a Vote for a Palestinian State
(Christian Science Monitor) Howard LaFranchi - President Obama now has a new task: persuading the Europeans not to support the declaration of a Palestinian state in September. The president said in his Middle East speech last week that plans afoot for the UN General Assembly to vote at its September meeting on a declaration of an independent Palestine would accomplish nothing for the Palestinians. Calling the plan a misguided attempt to isolate Israel, Obama said the U.S. would oppose the effort. No one expects the declaration to have trouble reaching a majority in the UN General Assembly, given the large number of developing and Islamic countries favorable to the Palestinians. But what the Obama administration wants to head off is a "yes" vote with the added heft of sizable Western support.