The Palestinians have dropped a request for a vote at the UN Security Council yesterday that they hoped would reject the peace plan of US President Donald Trump, whose administration has put heavy pressure on critics, diplomats said.
Introduced by Indonesia and Tunisia, the resolution risked not having nine out of 15 votes in its favor, the minimum required for adoption, provided there is no veto by a permanent member, the diplomats said.
A diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the US had placed “very strong pressure” on other countries on the council, including threats of economic retribution.
Photo: Reuters
However, senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat denied reports that the draft resolution was pulled because of a lack of support, saying in a statement that the “rumor” the Palestinians withdrew the resolution is “not true and totally baseless.”
He said the draft resolution, which initially said the US plan undermined the Palestinian peoples’ aspirations for independence, was still being discussed and would be put to a vote once those discussions conclude with “a formula that represents our positions.”
Despite the setback, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was scheduled to go ahead yesterday and address the council about Trump’s Jan. 28 plan, which paves the way for Israeli annexation of much of the West Bank, but also allows for a demilitarized Palestinian state.
Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon on Monday urged Abbas to cancel his trip, accusing him of dwelling on the past and calling on him to focus on the future.
The US would be certain to exercise its veto to any resolution that criticizes its plan, but diplomats said it was far from certain that the Palestinians could pull off a repeat of the December 2017 vote in which all 14 other council members denounced Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
Diplomats said many of the resolution’s provisions were not acceptable to European members of the council, who support a two-state solution based on pre-1967 borders, and other council members.
The US has proposed a series of amendments to the draft resolution that could come up for a vote at yesterday’s session.
In proposals seen by reporters, the US would significantly alter the text to remove references to lines before the 1967 Six-Day War, in which Israel captured the West Bank, as being the basis of peace.
It would also cut out a statement that Jewish settlements built in the West Bank since 1967 are illegal, a position taken by virtually every country except the US and Israel.
Washington is also seeking to eliminate language that equated East Jerusalem with the occupied West Bank. The Trump plan calls for recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s undivided capital, while establishing a Palestinian capital on its outskirts.
While recognizing that the Trump plan “departs from the internationally endorsed terms of reference and parameters,” the US wants the resolution to state that the council “welcomes discussion on this proposal to advance the cause of peace.”
Diplomats cast doubt on whether a vote could take place even at a later date, considering the wide divergences in positions.
The Palestinian leadership has enjoyed the backing of the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and, most recently, the African Union, which have all rejected the Trump plan.
Additional reporting by AP
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