The following are some emails I've gotten from my Dad about the Palestinian UN bid. He's in Amman and is I'm sure watching lots of Arabic and English language news and is probably as on top of things as anyone could be:
From today:The Palestinian on the panel was Hussam Zumlut, a young member of the Palestinian delegation, definetly a rising star to watch, said that Abbas will hand over the application for statehood membership to the secretary General tomorrow noon by NY time, just before Abbas addresses the General Assembly.
From today:
All my antennas are signalling that there is a deal in the making. My initial hunch has been right all thru!.Israel is offering temperory hold on settlement construction, but it is not apparent at what cost.
My hunch Abbas will return as a hero with this stunt. I hope.. I pray that the cost will not be the Palestinians' Recognition of Israel as a Jewish state, whereby: The refugees question will be buried for ever. The Arab minority in Israel will be heavily enfeebled, and endangered. Israel will acquire the status of the "Jew among nations' an objective long sought since its establishment. That Palestinians were an invading nation with no right to the land!!.
The cost should be the return to negotiations. Negotiations stopped because of settlement construction, so if settlement building stops, negotiations will start, with a phased time limit and with set terms of reference, as was sought by the PA before abandoning negotiations.
When asked for the reason of not going that direction, his elusive slippery answer and specially the body language was very revealing, specially to watchful me, saying that, as per legal council they have received"!!!! this is a journey to nowhere " and that they have currently the observer status , which is not any different of anything sought from the General assembly; they are members in many activities and they do not want to bother with all that!!.
From Monday, Sept. 19 -- on Abbas speech to Palestinians:Hereunder snippets in quotes, and briefs in plain.The most troubling statement is in the very last paragraph which is in quotes. He is saying I am going to the Security Council. For any other choice we will return to decide!!! That's what he has in mind. He will apply to the Security Council. The US will veto. He will return to Palestine to decide. The great hero has challenged Israel and the US, but what else can he do?!. It is all a charade!! and a silly one. He does not have a Plan B to put in motion, which your friend Boyle highlighted lucidly in your releases and in his article. Nothing set for General assembly; nothing about using the "United For Peace": precedent/resolution. What the hell is this nonsense. My hunch, if this comes to happen as is most likely, is that it is an election ploy, intended to firm up support for Obama among the pro Israeli base , as the Obama administration has foiled this grave devious attack against Israel! Three heros: Obama, Natanyahu and Abbas... It's is the end of time! There are other points worth noting that betray the sneaky persona of Abbas:
The way he references "refugees" at the very end of the third paragraph of the speech. The refugees issue. Not the right of the return of all the refugees. Also he uses the "aspiration" word. Since Bill Clinton who inroduced the word to reference Palestinian "rights" Whenever.. whenever a western diplomat Hillary included, Obama too, all European secretaries of state, they refer to Palestinians being entitled to their aspiration, and they all get a standing ovation as Bill Clinton got on his first visit to Gaza some time in the 90s!! Abbas refers to Occupied Palestinian land and not"disputed lands, as the Israelis claim" ignoring that the whole Oslo accord, which he orchestrated, was based on the fact that Occupied Palestinian land is disputed land.
I assume you mean his recent speech in Ramallah:
Snippets/ Briefs:
We have been suffering under occupation for 63 years, Our rights are being denied; with no compliance to UN and SC resolutions.
"We go to the UN seeking a legitimate right, to get permanent membership in the this organization, as a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital."
"Our sincere efforts to end occupation thru negotiations and establish a Palestinian state have reached a dead end, due to the Israeli government's policies in rejecting the international legitimacy, signed agreements. Also continued settlement construction and Judisising Jerusalem, by altering the demography, thus foreclosing the establishment of a two state solution on the basis of 1967 borders."
"This does not clash with the PLO's role as the sole legitimate representative for our Palestinian nation; to achieve complete independence, and resolve all final status issues on top of which comes the refugees issue. " Israel has administered negotiations for the sake of negotiations.
We have got int'l recognition from the Int'l Bank for the successful building of our Palestinian institutions.
"We have already been recognized by 126 member states. All compassionate and supportive of our aspirations for freedom and independence and our right for an independent and sovereign state."
We are the only nation under occupation.
"When we get UN membership, we 'll be able to go back to negotiations on the basis of a clear reference. We'll negotiate on permanent status issues, Jerusalem, refugees, borders, water, security, settlements and our prisoners;as they will become prisoners of war".
This whole effort is not a jump in the air!
"We do not want to single out Israel, or de- legitimize it. We intend to single out Israeli policies and de-legitimize its occupation.- our nightmare "
Settlers perpetrate hostile daily disrupting acts. Their threaten us in case we go to the UN. They are training their dogs to attack our kids already, as they are training their pigs to plunder our trees.
We are reminded of "Sabra and Shatila" "Deir Yassin" and "Qibya" We have been massacred for 63 years!
All this undertaking is a big and historic challenge. Not easy. "Once we get member recognition our land will still be occupied, and the obstacles will still be great, but our land will be occupied not "disputed" as the Israelis claim".
All results will be subject to approval from our related institutions.
For celebrations, make sure all activities are peaceful. Don't give the Israelis any pretext to undertake violence. They will try to provoke you. Resist and stay peaceful. The slightest violence on our part will hurt our cause.
We are resolute in keeping our home front united with Hamas , though there are differences. The israelis and the West kept saying: Palestinians are divided. Not any more.
" We are going to the Security Council. Once I deliver my speech in the general assembly, I will hand over the application for membership to the Secretary General, who in his turn will hand it over to the Security Council President. Therefore our choice is the Security Council. Other choices have not been resolved. For any other choice we will return to decide."