Israel Matzav

Jordan to Abu Mazen: Drop it!

Now we know who commissioned that legal opinion that worried about a 'Palestinian state' disenfranchising the 'refugees.' Jordan's King Abdullah is using the opinion to call - again - on Abu Mazen to drop the 'statehood' gambit.

Jordan's King Abdullah II advised Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to reconsider the Palestinian statehood bid, Saudi Arabian newspaper Al-Madina reported Tuesday.

King Abdullah, after consulting with a team of international lawyers, explained to Abbas that declaring a state in Palestine would possibly result in the loss of the "right of return" for Palestinian refugees, according to the report. He therefore asked him to reconsider his plan to bring statehood to a vote at the United Nations on September 20th.

Abbas however, planned to move forward with his move, nonetheless, the report said.

The Palestinians will continue to demand the right of return for millions of refugees to their original homes inside Israel even after the UN recognizes a Palestinian state along the June 4, 1967, lines, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said on Sunday.

Responding to legal experts’ claims that a Palestinian state could affect the status of the PLO as the “sole legitimate representative” of the Palestinians, Abbas told the Jordanian newspaper Ad-Dustour: “The PLO represents all the Palestinians, not only those in the Palestinian territories and whose number is estimated at 4 million. The PLO represents all 8 million Palestinians in the world.”

He said that the PLO would continue to function until all Palestinian issues were resolved, including the case of the refugees. The PA, he added, is part of the PLO and not a separate body.

YNet adds:

The Saudi newspaper said Amman "advised" Abbas of its position via several diplomatic channels within the Arab world, adding that so far, the Palestinian president has chosen to shrug off Jordan's recommendation and is forging on with the plan to appeal to the UN General Assembly.

The PA's unilateral move is perceived as highly premature and detrimental to the peace process by many in the international community and particularly by Washington, which has already declared it will oppose the move.

Several reports have suggested that Abbas is covertly seeking ways to renege on the nearing bid, but the Palestinians declared that they are adamant to see it through.

Should they do so, the General Assembly – which is ruled by third-world countries that are predominately Arab and Muslim – will see a majority vote in their favor. Nevertheless, General Assembly resolutions are symbolic and to truly be accepted into the UN, the Security Council – where the US has veto power – would have to grant the Palestinian's bid.

Israel has already recognized that it has no real chance of stopping the General Assembly vote, and is now concentrating its diplomatic efforts on establishing a "moral majority" within the UN, to vote against the bid.

Jerusalem is currently focusing on rallying the support of Britain, France, Germany and Spain, to name a few, with the aim of creating a 30-nation bloc.

A few points to consider:

1. The deep, dark secret of the Arab world is that Jordan regards a 'Palestinian state' as a threat and does not want one.

2. The only thing Jordan wants less than a 'Palestinian state' is a solution to the 'refugee problem' that doesn't allow him to ship as many 'Palestinians' as he wants to Judea and Samaria.

3. The 'Palestinian' attempt at unilateralism was not well thought-out, but having undertaken it and stuck by it, it is almost impossible for Abu Mazen to back off it and remain in power. No ladder reaches high enough to help him down from that tree.

4. Abu Mazen is hoping to have just enough violence from his 'people' to bring about a lethal Israeli reaction that will serve his propaganda purposes and help him to remain in power. The IDF is attempting to avoid giving Abu Mazen his dead bodies so long as it can do so without endangering Israeli lives.

5. If push comes to shove, the UN will find a way to allow the putative 'non-member state' of 'Palestine' to continue to represent the 'Palestinian refugees.' The UN is more than happy to change international law when it suits it.

6. In those days when there is no King... each man does what appears fair in his eyes.

Labels: Jordanian King Abdullah, Palestinian refugees, Palestinian state RIGHT NOW syndrome, unilateral declaration of statehood

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:57 AM