Mohammed Mar'i Saudi Gazette RAMALLAH – Britain was exerting efforts on Palestinian leadership to delay its UN bid for non-member state, a senior Palestinian official said Thursday. Nabil Sha'ath, a Palestinian negotiator and member of President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah Central Committee, told the Voice of Palestine Radio that “except Britain, there is no international pressure on Palestinian leadership to delay the bid” planned for later this month. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas wants to present the UN General Assembly with a non-member state bid due to stalemate in the peace process with Israel since October 2010. The US-brokered peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians collapsed after Israel refused to extend a 10- month moratorium over freezing settlement constructions in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Sha'ath added that “European countries are talking with us about the timing of the vote, the formula of the draft resolution to the UN.” He added that “Britain is pressuring us to delay the bid to allow the new US administration to launch new peace initiatives.” The Palestinian official said that the Palestinian sources said that the Palestinian leadership is moving forward with its plan to seek upgraded observer status at the UN, despite American and Israeli threats of financial or diplomatic retaliation. The development came a day after the Israeli Defense Minister said that Israel and the US must delay Palestinian statehood moves until after the Israeli elections. Israeli elections would be held on January 22, 2013, nine months ahead of schedule. He spoke on Channel 10 hours after US President Barack Obama was elected to a second four-year term. “We have a joint interest, ours and theirs, to delay the Palestinian UN bid for nonmember state,” Barak told the Israeli Channel 10 television hours after Obama was elected to a second four-year term. The Palestinian negotiator Sa'eb Erekat expressed hope that the “US will be loyal to peace, stability and democracy, and with its assistance a two-state solution based on 1967 borders will be achieved.” Erekat said in a statement following Obama's victory that the Palestinian leadership “decided to appeal the Palestinian issue at the UN this month and we hope Obama will side with this Palestinian right. Obama should stop Israel's settlement policy and avoid taking action to halt Palestinian efforts at UN.” Abbas has said he would only talk with Israel once it recognizes a Palestinian state at the pre-1967 lines or after the UN General Assembly approves that language as part of an upgrade in the Palestinian status to non-member state. Abbas has warned that if this does not happen soon, it might no longer be possible to arrive at a two-state solution.
