Well-informed Palestinian sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Palestinian Authority rejected the softened version of the draft resolution that is supposed to be presented to the Security Council this Tuesday.
The sources stressed that the new formula does not condemn the US “Century Deal”, nor does it mention the United States, adding that intensive consultations will be held to decide on whether to submit the draft or not.
Diplomats had confirmed that the Palestinian Authority withdrew the request to vote at the United Nations on the resolution because the draft submitted by Indonesia and Tunisia might not have the support of nine out of 15 Council members.
However, Saeb Erekat, the secretary-general of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee, said in a press statement that the reports on withdrawing the draft resolution “are untrue and baseless.”
“The draft resolution was distributed and still under discussion. Once the final form is done, the draft will be presented to the Security Council for voting,” he said in a statement.
Officials said the UK was behind easing the sharp rhetoric in the draft-resolution.
The new draft no longer calls for an international conference on the Middle East “at the earliest possible date,” instead of replacing that language with a reminder that such a call was made in a 2008 UN resolution.
President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to deliver an important speech before the United Nations Security Council against the US peace plan this Tuesday. The president’s diplomatic adviser, Majdi Al-Khalidi, said that the speech would explain the Palestinian position and would serve as a reference for any future peace process.
Following the session, Abbas will hold a joint press conference in New York with former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, according to a statement by the Palestinian Mission to the United Nations.
