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Palestinians Defy U.S. with Security Council Request

(AP-Washington Post) Karin Laub and Dan Perry - The Palestinian request to have the UN Security Council condemn Israeli settlements looks at first like another declarative gambit that changes little on the ground. But much more is at stake. Palestinians hope their Security Council initiative will give them an idea of how much support they have for future moves. These include seeking international recognition of a Palestinian state as early as this fall. U.S. officials, who urged the Palestinians not to turn to the Security Council, argue that Israelis and Palestinians should settle their disputes directly instead of taking it to the world body. "We're working to keep the focus where we think it needs to be and that is not in New York," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Thursday. Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said that in going to the Security Council, the Palestinian leadership violated its promise to deal with all disputes in direct negotiations. "This sort of action will in no way contribute to peace and reconciliation," he said. U.S. officials acknowledge that a vote on the resolution will put them in a difficult spot but are warning the Palestinians that the move may backfire, urging them and members of the Security Council to put the effort on indefinite hold. Palestinian political activist Mustafa Barghouti said he viewed the resolution as a test run for a push for worldwide recognition of a Palestinian state, which he said was "one of several steps that will follow if nothing changes."
2011-01-21 08:20:55
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