Palestinians Challenge Israel’s UN Credentials
Palestinians are attempting to get the United Nations to “symbolically” revoke Israel’s control over Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem: New UN move to revoke Israel’s control of territories. (Hat tip: zulubaby.)
The Palestinian mission’s ongoing effort, which was blocked in December when a majority of General Assembly members refused to back a resolution stating that PLO observer mission “represents the Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967” and that Israel’s credentials “do not cover that territory,” is being resumed.
According to an official at the Irish mission to the UN – Ireland currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union – the credentials issue will be one of many topics discussed at meetings next week with Palestinian envoy Nasser al-Kidwa and Israeli Ambassador Dan Gillerman.
“The Palestinians have indicated they want to discuss a range of issues, including representing the occupied territories and the International Court of Justice,” said mission First Secretary Damien Cole.
According to a UN source, the Palestinians are planning to present a General Assembly resolution at the end of the month calling on nations to recognize that the PLO observer mission, rather than Israel, represents the disputed territories.
The full name of the “PLO Observer Mission” is the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to the United Nations. A temporary agency that has turned into a permanent nightmare, growing fat like an engorged tick on the miseries of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
But a United States UN representative (unnamed) had the spine to lay it out in no uncertain terms:
At the US mission to the UN, an official reiterated Washington’s long-standing opposition to challenging Israel’s credentials. “The Palestinians need to spend more time trying to live up to their obligations under the road map and less time trying to embarrass Israel internationally,” he said.