Israel Matzav

PA official says 'Palestinians' should defer 'statehood' for a year

PLO Council Member and former 'Palestinian Authority Information Minister' Nabil Amr has become the first 'Palestinian' official to express doubt over the 'Palestinians' plan to unilaterally seek a 'state' in September.

Amr called on the PA leadership to delay the statehood plan by another year out of fear that it would harm Palestinian relations with the US and many EU countries that oppose the plan.

He said he would advise Abbas during the upcoming meeting of the PLO Central Council to reconsider his plan and postpone it until next year.

“The council will discuss the September [statehood] issue and the intention to go to the UN,” Amr, a former PA minister of information and envoy to Egypt, told the London-based Al-Quds Al-Arabi newspaper.

“I personally will advise the leadership to delay the UN bid by another year so that we would be able to make better preparations than what has been done until now,” he said.

Amr expressed hope that the delay would create a better climate for the resumption of the peace process “in line with the interests of the Palestinians.”

He said the PA was taking a risk by going to the UN “despite the opposition of major parties in the international arena.”

The PA leadership has failed to correctly assess the reactions of these major parties to the statehood plan, he said.

Amr warned that the Palestinians could lose many of their close friends if they insisted on proceeding with the statehood initiative. He said he was opposed to “creating a state of confrontation between the Palestinians and the US over the UN application.

“The Americans have not hidden their position and threats to impose sanctions not only against us, but also against those who would vote in favor of the statehood plan,” he continued. “On the face of it, this is an immoral issue. But in essence it would cause us some damage.”

Amr said he was not alone in demanding the PA leadership postpone the statehood plan. The Palestinians, he added, should prepare well for the UN initiative “to avoid losing this card.” Amr did not rule out the possibility that the 116 members of the PLO Central Council, who are expected to hold a meeting in Ramallah on July 27, would nevertheless approve the plan to go to the UN in September.

Actually, next year would be even worse for them because the US will be in the middle of an election. On the other hand, if God forbid Obama is re-elected, 2013 would be a great year for the 'Palestinian Authority.'
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But don't worry too much. Amr will likely expelled from the PLO Council or worse for disagreeing with the current mood in the 'Palestinian Authority.'

What could go wrong?

Labels: Nabill Amr, Palestinian Authority, Palestinian state RIGHT NOW syndrome, PLO Council, unilateral declaration of statehood

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:28 PM