Diplomatic flurry ahead of Palestinian UN bid

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Diplomatic flurry ahead of Palestinian UN bid

US and international envoys were on Wednesday holding a series of meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders in a last-ditch effort to contain a fall out from the Palestinians' plan to seek for UN endorsement of a state.

US diplomats, Dennis Ross and David Hale, were due in the region later Wednesday, and were scheduled to meet with Israeli leaders before travelling to the West Bank the next day to discuss with Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas.

Bid for an independent Palestinian state

The Palestinian bid for recognition comes at a particularly volatile time for Israel and its neighbours.

Washington said it was trying to persuade the Palestinians to drop their plan of asking the United Nations (UN) to recognize the independent Palestinian state, but so far without success.

The Palestinians are turning to the UN after peace talks with Israel broke down, hoping that a UN bid would best boost their statehood campaign.

They said they would bring a resolution before the UN during the annual General Assembly session that begins in New York on September 20, in the hope that UN recognition would enable them to gain leverage with Israel in future negotiations.

US diplomatic efforts

The Palestinians have not announced their strategies at the UN, but they could sidestep the Security Council by asking the General Assembly to grant them the status of non-member observer — a lesser status than full membership, but an alternative that could not be prevented by the US and would be expected to pass.

In addition to the US diplomatic efforts, the European Union's foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, was making the rounds in Israel on Wednesday, after meeting with Abbas in Cairo a day earlier.

Tony Blair, the special envoy of the Quartet of Mideast mediators; the United States, European Union, Russia and the United Nations is to meet with Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu and will later see Abbas in Amman, Jordan, late Wednesday or Thursday.

The Quartet is trying to fashion a statement that would allow both sides to resume negotiations.

The United States has promised to veto the bid if it reaches the UN Security Council.

Israeli-Egypt ties

Israel's ties with Egypt have been tested by last weekend's attack on the Israeli Embassy in Cairo that forced the evacuation of all Israeli diplomats but one from the country.

Friction also flared over the deaths of six Egyptian soldiers killed as Israeli troops pursued militants who killed eight Israelis shortly after crossing into Israel from Egypt.

Israeli-Palestinian talks stalled nearly three years ago, reviving only briefly last September before foundering again over a Palestinian demand for a full Israeli settlement construction freeze.

Israel is opposed to the Palestinians' planned UN bid.

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman warned on Wednesday that it would have unspecified "grave implications."

AP/Toyosi/Ekata