While
questions remain about the Palestinian gambit and how UN procedure applies to
the membership request, it has become increasingly apparent that beneath the
downplaying of concern over the UN option by Israeli officials, Jerusalem is,
indeed, anxious about an impending diplomatic defeat framed by acceptance of
the Palestinian effort by at least 140 nations. According to Abbas, the
application for membership will be submitted on or about September 19th to the
Security Council and General Assembly even though “many countries do not agree
with us and do not like this idea, but we will go there.”
Foremost
among those not liking the idea is the United States, which has reiterated its
intent to veto any relevant resolution submitted to the Security Council.
Lurking overhead are threats by Congressional leaders to cut off aid to the
Palestinian Authority if the UN gambit proceeds. Officials in Ramallah speaking
under condition of anonymity have told The Media Line that US foreign aid has
become crucial to the PA because of its dependability in large part because of
the continued failure of Arab nations to make good on their pledges of funding.
Asked by The Media Line whether the UN scenario is worth the risk of losing
American largesse, Abbas replied, “We can’t pay our people now so what will be
different?” Others suggested confidence that while President Obama will
exercise the American veto in the Security Council, he will not take the more
draconian step of cutting off aid and risk being accused of propelling the PA
and the Palestinian people into deeper fiscal distress. Abbas denied that the
Americans have so far issued any threat to suspend funding. He told reporters
that US officials “didn't talk about aid. They talked about some sort of
confrontation, which means there will be big differences between the
Palestinian attitude and the America attitude, which means there will be a
confrontation. We told them we don't want a confrontation either with Americans
or anyone else.”
In
explaining confidence that funding will continue, Palestinians point to the
multi-tiered system of dispersing US aid, the majority of which is tied to
projects overseen by international organizations and unlikely to be part of any
suspension of aid. Only about $50 million in direct aid to the PA budget
pledged for this year is in the pipeline.
Mohammad
I. Shtayyeh, minister in charge of the Palestinian Economic Council and member
of the Palestinian delegation to the UN told The Media Line that, “In 2006,
when the American Congress tried to boycott and put sanctions on the Hamas-led
government, it’s the year we got the most money from the world.” Shtayyeh added that “Israel can’t
afford to push (the PA) into chaos because they will pay the consequences if
security forces are not paid.”
Asked by
reporters whether he was willing to back away from Turtle Bay if Israel
presented a new package of ideas to resume talks prior to September 20th, Abbas
replied that the US and Israel are too late, and that if such a package was
presented, the Palestinians would proceed first to the UN and only then
consider returning to negotiations.
According to Abbas, “They wasted all this time from the beginning of the
year. From the day we went to Washington to talk with Netanyahu… they wasted
all this time. Now when they come here to tell us, ‘we have this idea,’ we have
this package and don't go to the United Nations, we will not accept.”
The
Israelis seemingly agree that time has been wasted, but the two sides place the
blame on the other for the delay.
Mark Regev, spokesman for Prime Minister Netanyahu, told The Media Line that, “We’ve wasted
two and a half years… had the Palestinians agreed to start talking peace with
Israel directly, we’d be closer today to peace and independent Palestinian statehood
than we are.” He quoted Netanyahu as calling for Abbas to engage in non-stop
talks with him, “talks that should be continuous, talks that should be on-going
until reaching an agreement; until reaching a breakthrough.”
Referring
to the split between Fatah and Hamas, Abbas was asked whom he will be
representing at the United Nations. His reply was that, “I represent all the
Palestinian people.” Abbas told The Media Line that while “There is a problem
between us and (Hamas) concerning the government…the reconciliation between
us…is working and Hamas doesn't reject the notion of the United Nations.” When
pressed about the PA’s ability to control the Gaza Strip, Abbas replied that,
“Whether there is Hamas or not, we are responsible, they are our people. There
are 1.5 million, the territory is ours and we have split it between us, we will
manage it.”
When
asked whether the Israeli demand for recognition as a Jewish state was still a
major issue, Abbas responded as he often does by saying, “It is not our
business,” arguing that the demand for Jewish recognition was not part of its
treaties with either Egypt or Jordan.
