http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/11/26/251824.html
Monday, 26 November 2012

Abbas heads to New York ahead of U.N. bid, gets Hamas support

Abbas says he’s willing to resume talks once the 1967 borders have been recognized as the baseline, something hardline Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refuses to do. Israel, while willing to cede some land, says it will not withdraw to the 1967 lines, and has instead moved half a million Israelis into settlements on war-won land. “The upgraded status would permit Palestinians to take part in General Assembly debates, and more importantly, improve their chances of joining U.N. agencies and the International Criminal Court,” wrote London-based writer and Arab commentator Sharif Nashashibi for Al Arabiya last week. “If they are able to sign the ICC’s founding treaty, the Rome Statute, this would allow legal action in the court to challenge Israel’s occupation,” he added. “I’m going to the UN to demand a just peace based on international legitimacy to achieve an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital,” Abbas declared. He also pledged to work toward seeking the release of Palestinian “heroes” from Israeli prisons. “We are going to the U.N. fully confident in our steps. We will have our rights because you are with us,” he told a crowd of around 1,000 people demonstrating support on Sunday for the bid to upgrade the Palestinian rank. “We ask for a just peace, which is agreed on by the international community which will give us our state with east Jerusalem as its capital. Without that, there is no hope at all,” he said. Abbas said the attempt to secure upgraded status was backed by many U.N. member states and by all the Palestinian political factions. “We are on our way to the United Nations and there are a lot of states supporting us, who support peace and justice. All of the factions are with us in going to the United Nations,” he said. Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal on Monday told Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas that his movement backs a bid for enhanced U.N. status for the Palestinians, a Hamas statement said. “Khaled Meshaal... held a telephone conversation with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in which he affirmed that Hamas welcomes the step of going to the United Nations for state observer status,”