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http://english.alarabiya.net
U.S. secret memo warns Europe against supporting U.N. Palestinian bid: report Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced he was looking for a less-ambitious status upgrade at the world body that would make it a “non-member state” like the Vatican. (AFP) Washington has warned European governments against supporting a Palestinian bid for enhanced status at the United Nations, the Guardian reported on Monday. The U.S. said such a move “would be extremely counterproductive” and threatening “significant negative consequences” for the Palestinian Authority, including financial sanctions. According to the Guardian report, citing a U.S. private memorandum, Palestinian statehood “can only be achieved via direct negotiations with the Israelis.” Washington urged Europeans “to support [American] efforts” to block the bid. The message was communicated by officials to representatives of European governments at the U.N. general assembly (UNGA) in New York last week. The Palestinians, whose aspirations for their own state are now taking a back seat at the United Nations to Iran, Syria and the Arab Spring, were probably also disappointed by the General Assembly. A year ago in New York, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced his bid for full U.N. membership for a Palestinian state, sparking excitement at the General Assembly and the West Bank. The request wilted in the face of U.S. opposition. This year, Abbas announced he was looking for a less-ambitious status upgrade at the world body that would make it a “non-member state” like the Vatican, instead of an “entity.” There was no excitement at the General Assembly or the West Bank. Palestinian officials accused the U.S. of exerting “tremendous pressure” on European governments to oppose their bid for upgraded “non-member state” status at the UNGA. The Palestinians will wait until after the U.S. presidential election in early November before proceeding with their bid for upgraded status. However, they insist they will press for a vote by the end of the year and are confident of winning a comfortable majority among the U.N.’s 193 countries. The U.S. has no veto at the general assembly. According to the Guardian, the memorandum – described by one diplomatic source as “private correspondence” – said the U.S. was continuing to work for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and urged both parties “to avoid provocative one-sided actions that could undermine trust or otherwise distract from the pursuit of peace.” It explained that a Palestinian resolution on non-member state status “would have significant negative consequences, for the peace process itself, for the U.N. system, as well as our ability to maintain our significant financial support for the Palestinian Authority.” It could lead to Palestinian participation as a state in international bodies such as the International Criminal Court (ICC), which could have repercussions for Israel’s policies on settlements, the occupation of the West Bank and the blockade of Gaza. “We hope you [Europe] are willing to support our efforts … We would appreciate knowing where your government stands on this issue. We would also be interested in knowing whether you have been approached on this matter by Palestinian representatives,” the memorandum said. Describing it as “typical American behavior but also overkill,” Hanan Ashwari, a member of the Palestinian Liberation Organization executive committee, said that most European countries had already decided their position on the issue. “It is ridiculous and unconscionable the way they [U.S.] put themselves at the service of Israel in such a blatant way. This is tremendous American pressure and bias.” European discussions on whether to support the Palestinians’ bid are scheduled to be held this week. Some European countries are worried over the possibility of the U.S. withdrawal of financial support for the Palestinian Authority in the wake of a bid for upgraded status, fearing that the EU would have to fill the funding gap, according to the Guardian. Following the Palestinians’ acceptance as a state by the United Nations cultural and heritage body, UNESCO, Washington cut off funding as a punitive measure. The U.S. had contributed 22% of UNESCO’s annual budget.
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