In a new diplomatic drive to obtain full membership of the United Nations, Palestinian leaders have launched a campaign that would culminate at the UN General Assembly on Sept. 23 with a landmark speech by President Mahmoud Abbas.
In his address to UNGA, Abbas will make the case for enhanced status.
Underscoring the absence of a political path and hope for the Palestinians to end the occupation, Palestinian government spokesman Ibrahim Melhem said they have no choice but to resort to the UN to enhance Palestine’s status as a state and the Palestinians as a people on their land under occupation.
After Sweden and Ireland had expressed their unconditional support for the move, France has also encouraged the Palestinians to demand full membership of the UN, Fatah official Sabri Saidem said, noting that they’ll now seek more Arab and international support.
Following US President Joe Biden’s visit to Bethlehem in July PA officials in Ramallah, decided to reinvigorate their diplomatic efforts on this front over the next month.
Pointing out that this is an issue of utmost importance, Ahmad al-Deek, a senior political adviser to the PA’s foreign minister, said that they’ll be working directly with every country and member of the UN Security Council, particularly those that believe in the two-state solution.
After discussing the matter with Biden and with French President Emmanuel Macron, Abbas is now seeking to mobilize international support and has scheduled a visit to Germany in mid-August to tackle the issue.
Hussein al-Sheikh, the Secretary-General of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s (PLO) Executive Committee, said that he already held talks with Oliver Owcza, head of the German Representative Office in Ramallah, on the bilateral ties and preparations for Abbas’s trip.
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