President Obama told 'moderate' 'Palestinian' President US President Barack Obama told Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday that UN action would not achieve a Palestinian state and the United States would veto any Security Council move to recognize Palestinian statehood, the White House said.Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said that a vote in the Security Council is 'several weeks away' leaving plenty of time for diplomacy to avoid an American veto.
"We would have to oppose any action at the UN Security Council including, if necessary, vetoing," Ben Rhodes, the White House national security council spokesman, told reporters after Obama met Abbas in New York.
"It will probably take several weeks (before a vote takes place) and those weeks can be used to develop a strategy," Juppe told reporters in New York. The Palestinians are preparing to present their statehood bid on Friday.If a vote is still several weeks away, how will the 'Palestinians' know when to riot.
Conflicting comments made earlier by senior Palestinian officials further added to the uncertainty surrounding the PA's UN bid. Nabil Shaath, a senior official in Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party said, "We will give some time to the Security Council to consider first our full membership request before heading to the General Assembly."
An hour later, Saeb Erekat, a senior aide to Abbas and former chief of negotiations for the Palestinian Authority denied that a delay was on the agenda, saying Abbas has no plans to agree to a delayed vote. "We will not allow any political maneuvering on this issue," he said.
The French proposed a one-year map for 'Palestinian statehood' - that would work out great with Obama's reelection schedule.
But the real miracle here is that the World is finally starting to awaken to the reality of what a 'Palestinian state' would engender. This is from the first link again.
According to sources in the delegation, the Americans and Europeans are beginning to understand the harsh reality of the present Middle East. Israel presented a vast amount of intelligence information pointing to al-Qaeda's penetration in Egypt and the growth of radical Islam in the Arab country.
Diplomatic officials stated that Israel warned that Sinai could turn into a second Afghanistan. "The images from the storming of the Egyptian embassy in Cairo and Mubarak's trial changed the Western perception of what is actually transpiring in the Middle East," they said.
In consultations between Jerusalem and Washington, it was determined that Obama would clarify to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas the economic consequences of a unilateral declaration.
The US President will also demand of Abbas to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as soon as possible, and launch a direct dialogue.
(Israel Matzav: Palestinians routed at UN and Obama tells Abu Mazen he will use the veto)
