Mohammed Mar'i Saudi Gazette RAMALLAH – A senior official from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement denied media reports that the president may be willing to postpone a move for upgrading UN status from that of an observer to a non-member state if the US were to offer a “clear objective” for peace talks. Jamal Muhaisen, a member of Fatah's Central Committee, said that the Israel radio report “is baseless and completely false. Such a proposal was never discussed.” The radio quoted a Palestinian official as saying that Abbas may be willing to postpone the bid “if the US were to offer a clear objective for negotiations between the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Israel.” The official added that the objective must be a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. The report quoted other Palestinian officials as saying that the Palestinian leadership would be willing to reconsider the bid if real suggestions were offered for ending the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. Palestinians officials said Abbas was considering asking for a UN vote on Nov. 15 or 29. November 15 is the anniversary of the declaration of a Palestinian state in Algeria in 1988. November 29 is the International Day for Solidarity with the Palestinian People. November 29 is also the date in 1947 that the UN General Assembly voted to partition Mandatory Palestine into a Jewish and an Arab state. The Palestinian leadership will make the final decision on the bid after the Arab League summit set for next Wednesday. Muhaisen said that the “Palestinian leadership will not retract its bid for full membership of the United Nations.”
