Washington, DC - Welcoming the UN General Assembly's vote to upgrade the status of the Palestinian representation in the UN, Americans for Peace Now (APN) today urged the Palestinians, Israel, the Obama administration and the international community to use the vote as a springboard to launching credible peace negotiations.
...the correct line of public diplomacy for Israel is to warmly embrace the idea of establishing a Palestinian state alongside Israel and welcoming the UN vote. The Palestinian bid should be seen as an Israeli achievement because affirmation of its contents would be a de facto historic recognition of the borders of Israel and negation of the historic Palestinian aspiration to wipe Israel off the map."
Consistent with APN's longstanding support for peace and a negotiated two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Americans for Peace Now today called on the Obama Administration and the international community to support the Palestinians' bid to upgrade their status at the UN to that of non-member observer state.
For the second consecutive year, the Palestinians are seeking enhanced status at the U.N. It feels like a re-run of 2011, but there are significant legal and political differences that should not be overlooked.
Large-scale economic protests in the West Bank, directed at Mahmoud
Abbas' Palestinian Authority, are of major concern. The riots further
weaken moderate and pragmatic Palestinian leaders, they threaten to
boost the popularity of Hamas and other extremists, and they might spill
over to ignite violent hostilities directed at Israel.
What kind of UN recognition are the Palestinians seeking? What are they expecting to achieve? Are they aware of the possible repercussion? To answer these questions, APN hosted a briefing call with Ambassador Riyad Mansour, the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations. Ambassador Mansour took questions from APN Board members and major supporters. To listen to a recording of the call, click here. 
Earlier this month, APN's Board of Directors adopted principles to guide our approach on the issue of the Palestinians and efforts for international and UN recognition. These principles underlie my recent op-ed on the topic published on ForeignPolicy.com, and will be the basis of forthcoming APN statements and commentary on the topic.Tuesday, July 19, 2011
The Palestinian leadership seems determined to bring its case for statehood to the U.N. in September. The details remain unknown, but that hasn't stopped pundits and groups from staking out hard-line positions opposing the effort.
