Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas |
NEW YORK – An internal United Nations document containing the upcoming General Assembly's speakers list bestows an unwarranted honor upon Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, while also slighting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
With no vote taken or yet expected on the issue of Palestinian statehood, the U.N. has already scheduled Abbas as an official "head of state," an honor given to kings and presidents like Barack Obama, Russian President Dimitri Medvedev, Jordanian King Abdullah II and British Prime Minister David Cameron, to name but a few.
The Palestinian is also given a primetime speaking slot, 12:00 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 23.
In the past, Palestinian leaders were afforded a "special" position by the U.N., speaking after all heads of recognized nations addressed the world body.
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Not the case in 2011.
Not only has the General Assembly given Abbas a coveted speaking position, but it also turned around and slapped Israel, which has been a full U.N. member since its birth in 1948.
A rare G.A. address by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been scheduled on the same Friday as Abbas, but as the last speaker at 9:00 p.m. that evening, a time slot that would not only violate Jewish Sabbath laws, but also assure a minimum amount of publicity, since the U.N. is all but abandoned during that hour.
Jean-Victor Nkolo, a G.A. spokesman, explained to WND that Abbas' speaker's status was merely "a typo" and added that if the Israeli delegation was "not satisfied" with Netanyahu's speaking schedule they "could request a change."
Nkolo insisted there has been no comment from Jerusalem.
Calls to Israel's U.N. Ambassador Ron Prosor were not returned.
Sensing political quicksand over the question of Palestinian statehood, U.S./U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice has been working "overtime" trying to head off the issue. So far, say diplomats, the U.S. delegation has met with a minimum of success.
Congress has threatened to suspend its U.N. dues and a cut off of all U.S. foreign aid to the Palestinian Authority if the U.N. approves a statehood resolution. The Congressional action would involve several billion dollars in U.S. funds.
"There is no resolution or draft being considered by the General Assembly," insisted G.A. spokesman Nkolo.
He hastened to point out that the situation is "extremely fluid" and could change on a "minute's notice."
The spokesman did stress that if a Palestinian move for statehood was rejected by the Security Council, the motion would die.
U.S./U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice is said to have conveyed a White House decision to veto any Security Council action to Palestinian observer Riyad Mansour.
In the General Assembly, however, such a move could still be voted on independently and approved, for there are no vetoes in the G.A. Such a move, however, would only apply to G.A. activities and not give the Palestinians full U.N. membership. But, it could lay the foundation for the Palestinians to seek membership in U.N. affiliated agencies such as UNICEF and UNESCO (the U.N. cultural and scientific organization).
Such a vote and approval would have "tremendous" political weight, say U.N. watchers.
Some believe the Palestinian campaign to be orchestrated by and partially financed by Iran. Not coincidentally, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is also expected to be in New York to address the U.N. during the same period.