FM: UN resolution on Israel occupation postponed
Published today (updated) 24/11/2014 12:31
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=742207

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- The PLO has postponed submitting a draft resolution to
the UN Security Council demanding an end to Israel's occupation, having
already passed several target dates for the procedure over the past two
months.

PA Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki told Ma'an that the decision was made
because the PLO is still lobbying to gain the support of nine security
council members to ensure the vote passes.

The resolution was also suspended because Iran nuclear talks are currently
the top priority for Security Council permanent members.

"The permanent member states have informed us that they would give priority
to the Iranian issue not to the Palestinian statehood issue," al-Maliki
said.

"We haven't backed down on the resolution or cancelled it despite the
international opposition and US threats."

The PLO will submit a draft resolution to the UN Security Council as soon as
Iran nuclear talks have finished and the required political support has been
obtained.

The United States, in line with a decades-long policy, will likely veto any
vote on Palestinian statehood.

In a speech at the 69th United Nations General Debate in September,
President Abbas said that a resolution demanding an end to Israel's
occupation would be submitted to the Security Council due to the failure of
peace negotiations.

A draft of the resolution, obtained by AFP, calls for the "full withdrawal
of Israel, the occupying power, from all of the Palestinian territory
occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, as rapidly as possible and to
be fully completed within a specified time-frame, not to exceed November
2016."

In October, PLO Secretary General Yasser Abed Rabbo said the resolution
would be submitted by the end of that month, while senior PLO official
Wassel Abu Yusef said the draft resolution would be submitted by the end of
November.

The PLO have said that if Washington does wield its veto, they will seek
membership of the International Criminal Court, where they could sue Israeli
officials over alleged war crimes in the occupied territories.

Israel occupied the West Bank, Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem, and the Syrian
Golan Heights in 1967.

It has since built hundreds of illegal Jewish-only settlements and
transferred over 500,000 settlers to East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

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