ABBAS TO PAY RARE VISIT TO UN OVER JERUSALEM RECOGNITION
▶ Palestinian president will address Security Council amid mounting anger at US decision
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas will travel to the UN headquarters this month to address the Security Council on the United States’ recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. He will also speak on the expension of settlements in a rare public appearance, reflecting escalating tensions over the peace prospects.
Kuwait’s UN ambassador, Mansour Al Otaibi, Security Council president for February, said his government invited the Palestinian leader to address the monthly Middle East meeting, on February 20.
When Arab foreign ministers met last month, he said, “there is an Arab movement to push forward the peace process” and “to oppose the Israeli violations, especially those pertaining to Jerusalem and the settlements”.
Mr Abbas usually attends the annual gathering of world leaders at the General Assembly in September, but his decision to speak to the UN’s most powerful body is a pointer to a deepening rift between Israel and the US on one hand, and the Palestinians, their Arab and European supporters on the other. It follows US president Donald Trump’s announcement in December to declare Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, which triggered protests and condemnation throughout the region. It upends decades of US foreign policy and an international consensus that Jerusalem’s status should be decided in negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.
The latter have rejected any peace proposals from the Trump administration amid concerns they will fall below expectations for an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza, lands captured by Israel in the 1967 war, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Palestinians’ demand for a two-state solution is supported by the UN and almost all of its 193 member states.
On Wednesday, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would retain security control over the Palestinians as part of any peace deal.
Since taking office, Mr Trump has distanced himsel from the two-state solution favoured by his predecessors for the past two decades, saying he would support Palestinian independence only if Israel agreed. The Palestinians are also angry at the Trump administration’s announcement last month that it is withholding US$65 million (Dh239m) of a planned $125m funding instalment for UNRWA, the UN agency that helps five million Palestinian refugees. The administration also made clear that additional US donations would be contingent on major changes by UNRWA, which has been heavily criticised by Israel.
Kuwait is the Arab representative on the Security Council and as president it will decide the February programme.
Mr Al Otaibi said there were no objections among members – including the US – to the proposed agenda. The council would hold an informal meeting on the Palestinian situation on February 22.
Former US president Jimmy Carter, ex-UN humanitarian chief Jan Egeland and former UNRWA chief Karen AbuZayd have been invited to attend. Mr Carter bridged wide gaps between the Egyptian and Israeli leaders, Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin, leading to the Camp David accords in September 1978.
On Mr Carter, Mr Al Otaibi said “we believe that he does have a role to play, he can give his opinion, and that’s why we decided to invite him”. But it was not confirmed whether Mr Carter would attend.
Last week, US ambassador Nikki Haley accused Mr Abbas of not having the courage of Sadat or the late King Hussein of Jordan, who made peace with Israel. “If president Abbas demonstrates he can be that type of leader, we would welcome it. His recent actions demonstrate the total opposite,” she said.
“To get historic results, we need courageous leaders. History has provided such leaders in the past. For the sake of the Palestinian and Israeli people, we pray it does so again.”
Israeli aircraft hit a Hamas compound in the southern Gaza Strip yesterday, a day after an air strike targeted a Hamas observation post near Beit Hanoun in the north. The Israeli army said the strikes were in response to rockets fired into southern Israel.
The attacks, by fringe groups, have increased since Mr Trump’s December 6 announcement.
Israel holds Hamas, with which it has fought three wars since 2008, responsible for any fire coming from Gaza.