Israel prepares for PA statehood bid
AS the Palestinian Authority prepares for its statehood bid later this month, Israel has started formulating a harsh response.
Israel’s eight most senior government ministers met this week to discuss the subject, and – according to the Army Radio – considered punitive measures. Israel has significant control over the flow of finances to the PA, and is mulling over freezing some funds.
Other punishments being considered for the PA’s determination to try to advance its desire for statehood away from the negotiating table include abolishing privileges enjoyed by senior PA leaders, such as easy travel into Israel.
The Palestinian negotiating team said that it will not change its plans because of Israel’s planned response.
“The Israelis are trying to manipulate us and twist our arms so we will not go the United Nations, but the decision is made and we will be going to the UN this month,” Ashraf Khatib, a spokesman for the team, told The AJN.
As the group of eight ministers formulated Jerusalem’s response, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman called a meeting of ambassadors from European countries. The meeting was due to take place today [Thursday] in Vienna and focus on how the ambassadors would best lobby against the statehood bid. The Palestinians want to upgrade their standing at the United Nations to that of an observer state, which they hope will give them the prestige of a state at the UN, and to succeed, they need the support of UN member countries.
“It’s very important for us to have a dialogue with countries to say why it’s a bad idea,” Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Paul Hirschson told The AJN.
He said: “The bottom line is that we and the Palestinians are signed on to the Oslo Accords and various annexes that oblige us to decide outstanding issues by negotiations, and this [statehood bid] is moving away from this [agreement].”
NATHAN JEFFAY
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