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Last update - 11:56 25/11/2009
Abbas: Only solution is to declare Palestinian state
By Haaretz Service and News Agencies
Tags: Palestinian Authority 

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Tuesday that the impasse in the peace process left him no choice but to seek international recognition, AFP reported, even as Europe and Washington discouraged the move.

"We feel we are in a very difficult situation," he was quoted as saying in Cairo after talks with Egyptian counterpart Hosni Mubarak. "What is the solution for us? To remain suspended like this, not in peace? That is why I took this step."

Earlier this week, Palestinian officials said they intended to ask the United Nations Security Council to recognize a state, in a move analysts said was aimed at pressuring Israel amid floundering U.S. efforts to revive peace negotiations.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in response that any unilateral action would undo the framework of past accords and lead to one-sided actions by Israel.
But Abbas on Tuesday said the move was not unilateral and enjoyed the backing of Arab countries.

"The decision emanates from an Arab follow-up committee (of the Arab League) that was convened recently ... and which agreed to go the Security Council for it to say that it supports an independent Palestinian state," AFP quoted him as saying.

The Palestinian leader spoke as the European Union rejected the Palestinian Authority's request to back its plan for gaining recognition as an independent state.

Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, whose country holds the EU presidency, explained that the EU does not believe conditions are ripe yet for such a move. The EU is not on the Security Council, but EU members France and Britain are permanent council members that wield veto power.

"The Palestinian plan is clearly an act borne by a difficult situation where they don't see any road ahead," said Bildt.

The EU's foreign ministers on Tuesday were discussing ways to coordinate with the United States to get Palestinians and Israelis back to peace talks, said Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the EU's external relations commissioner.

"The most important thing until now is to really help the Americans bring both sides to the table," she said.

The Palestinian Authority is coming under increasing pressure ­ from Israel and the international community ­to back down from its threat to unilaterally declare a state without first concluding a peace agreement with Israel.

On Monday evening, the United States on Monday reaffirmed its support for the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through negotiations, in its first official response to the Palestinian plan.

"It is our strong belief and conviction that the best means to achieve the common goal of a contiguous and viable Palestine is through negotiations between the parties," the U.S. State Department said in a statement.

U.S. senators visiting Israel said earlier in the day that on Monday that Washington would veto a Palestinian declaration of statehood in the United Nations Security Council.

The idea of seeking UN intervention has been gaining steam in the Arab world as the impasse in peacemaking drags on. The Palestinians seek a state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, territories Israel captured in 1967.

The senators said the threat by Palestinian officials to take the issue to a UN resolution was a waste of time and would go nowhere. They urged Arab states to stop it.

"It would be D.O.A. - dead on arrival," Democratic Party Senator Ted Kaufman (DE) told a news conference in Jerusalem. "It's a waste of time."

Senator Joseph Lieberman (CT), an independent, said "an essentially unilateral" declaration of statehood was the one thing that would not move the stalled peace process forward."

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      1.   EU rejection 12:11  |  Markos Souza 17/11/09
      2.   There is no point negotiating with Israel. 12:19  |  Michael 17/11/09
      3.   How Many Years of Negotiations? 12:20  |  Ram 17/11/09
      4.   eu reject 12:28  |  flora 17/11/09
      5.   we were never going to do this 12:35  |  SD 17/11/09
      6.   A SANE EU DECISION 12:47  |  Brant 17/11/09
      7.   EU rejection proves they reject peace with Muslim world. 12:48  |  Ali Baba 17/11/09
      8.   Palestinian fade away 12:51  |  larry 17/11/09
      9.   can`t negotiate with Israel 12:57  |  lior 17/11/09
      10.   Israel and its Pals 13:08  |  Fritz T. 17/11/09
      11.   EU+US support Israel as Jewish state 13:15  |  Sam 17/11/09
      12.   There is no such thing as the "Palestinian People" 13:21  |  Moshe 17/11/09
      13.   Everybody refuses to relate to reality - just spitting out 13:24  |  17 17/11/09
      14.   Ali Baba - just to help 13:31  |  17 17/11/09
      15.   Blowing in the wind 13:41  |  zoe 17/11/09
      16.   EU rejection 13:45  |  George 17/11/09
      17.   number 9 13:48  |  Lior 17/11/09
      18.   Dear Mr. Bildt 13:49  |  Osama 17/11/09
      19.   What a mess 13:51  |  GA 17/11/09
      20.   The European Union has not rejected 13:53  |  Chris Linthwaite 17/11/09
      21.   To Zoe 14:04  |  Sam Soul 17/11/09
      22.   17 Unlike the Pals, they have the vote. 14:37  |  Michael 17/11/09
      23.   thats the responsible stand for the EU to take 15:04  |  zionist forever 17/11/09
      24.   To Michael #22 15:16  |  David 17/11/09
      25.   Michael/UK `Of course, but they are all citizens of the country 15:19  |  17 17/11/09
      26.   Bildt is right! 15:49  |  Maurice 17/11/09
      27.   Lat time I check the EU have little say on the matter 15:49  |  david 17/11/09
      28.   22 In what twisted world of anti-morality... 16:30  |  Moshe 17/11/09
      29.   Moshe: morality 16:53  |  Clarity 17/11/09
      30.   Clairty: Morality 17:18  |  Moshe 17/11/09
      31.   to Clairty Examples 17:37  |  CM 17/11/09
      32.   Mr. Eu, It should be as clear as day now... 18:00  |  Dutch 17/11/09
      33.   The negotiation game 19:06  |  Osama 17/11/09
      34.   Arabs for peace must give up hostilities 19:07  |  Chaim Ben Kahan 17/11/09
      35.   Israel`s unilateral move. 900 new homes on the WB. 19:20  |  Michael 17/11/09
      36.   Glad to see common sense from the US 19:31  |  Gina 17/11/09
      37.   Abbas should return to the negotiating table 19:43  |  Gina 17/11/09
      38.   re 19:54  |  jocker12 17/11/09
      39.   Declare Palestine State 21:41  |  graczek 17/11/09
      40.   Logorrhoea............ 21:43  |  zoe 17/11/09
      41.   The "conditions" weren`t right for us either in 1948 22:14  |  Ussishkin 17/11/09
      42.   #37 Gina. A peace offer that wouldn`t bring peace 22:19  |  Ron 17/11/09
      43.   Only solution is to have the last intifatha ! 22:31  |  Akram Zekaria 17/11/09
      44.   PA should just give up control to the IDF 22:33  |  Nelson 17/11/09
      45.   It is is so sad... 22:47  |  Zach 17/11/09
      46.   Sure, this is the only way for Abbas to avoid compromise 22:52  |  McQueen 17/11/09
      47.   EU rejection 23:19  |  John Norman 17/11/09
      48.   39 00:03  |  zionist forever 18/11/09
      49.   Declaring a state is 2yrs off if deal not reached 00:10  |  Bloodyscot 18/11/09
      50.   Linthwaite from planet loon 01:10  |  SDHD 18/11/09
      51.   Correct Akram Zekaria 01:28  |  Mark Lincoln 18/11/09
      52.   moshe #12 02:35  |  stephanie 18/11/09
      53.   lior re #9 02:45  |  stephanie 18/11/09
      54.   zionist forver 03:03  |  stephanie 18/11/09
      55.   # 44 McQueen 03:11  |  Joseph .E 18/11/09
      56.   Gina - TO WHAT PURPOSE? 03:11  |  Mark of Lewiston 18/11/09
      57.   moshe:morality 03:14  |  stephanie 18/11/09
      58.   CM 03:20  |  stephanie 18/11/09
      59.   chaim ben kahan 03:22  |  stephanie 18/11/09
      60.   jocker 12 03:25  |  stephanie 18/11/09
      61.   graczek 03:26  |  stephanie 18/11/09
      62.   ussishkin 03:27  |  stephanie 18/11/09
      63.   nelson 03:31  |  stephanie 18/11/09
      64.   Palestinians have a lot of Pals 03:36  |  Chuckles 18/11/09
      65.   Ashamed of current US policy, speaking as an American Jew 03:41  |  Eric L 18/11/09
      66.   43~ Zach " it is sad .. 04:25  |  Akram Zekaria 18/11/09
      67.   no peace more violance 04:40  |  eddie 18/11/09
      68.   Only solution 04:51  |  Yehudah Ariel 18/11/09
      69.   37~ Gina " Abbas should return to the negotiating table" 04:58  |  Akram Zekaria 18/11/09
      70.   #25 You don`t even think before you answer, do you, 17? 05:09  |  Johnboy 18/11/09
      71.   Just try it Abu Abaaas! 05:33  |  Andrei 18/11/09
      72.   Jews for peace must give up illegal settlements 05:35  |  betz55 18/11/09
      73.   Lary # 8 06:28  |  al 18/11/09
      74.   Abbas` only solution 06:50  |  Greg 18/11/09
      75.   #39 graczek 07:02  |  historian 18/11/09
      76.   EU rejection 11:29  |  Yusef Daher 18/11/09
      77.   Here we go again 17:21  |  Eric B 18/11/09
      78.   #37 Gina. Not much of an offer 19:33  |  Ron 18/11/09
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