Who supported and opposed the latest UN option?

So far this bid has failed to excite public opinion in the occupied territories in the same way as in 2011 and the build-up to it has been more low-key. It is backed by Mr Abbas's Fatah movement, which controls Palestinian Authority-run parts of the West Bank, and was agreed with representatives of other groups in the PLO.

It was initially criticised by senior figures in Hamas, the rival Islamist group which governs the Gaza Strip. However, following the recent eight-day Israeli military offensive on Gaza, Hamas's political leader, Khaled Meshaal, said he "welcomed" the effort. The militant group, Islamic Jihad is also said to have given its unofficial support. "There is not a single party or faction that is not onboard," senior PLO official Hanan Ashrawi told journalists on 28 November.

Within the wider region, the 22-member Arab League has endorsed the approach.

The main opposition came from Israel. Looking to dissuade President Abbas from his plan, it has threatened to withhold crucial tax revenues it collects on behalf of the PA and restrict movements of its officials from the West Bank. On 14 November, a position paper leaked from Israel's foreign ministry also proposed "toppling" Mr Abbas if Palestine's bid for UN non-member observer state status was approved. Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Lior Ben Dor said that if President Abbas continued with the bid, he would be in breach of the 1993 Oslo Accord, under which the PA was established.

In the past few days, Israeli officials have indicated that immediately after the vote sanctions would be introduced against the Palestinians. However, they say Israel will not take irreversible steps and will not act to bring down the PA. Only if the Palestinians use their upgraded UN membership to press cases at the International Criminal Court will Israel consider more drastic steps, they add. Speaking to the BBC about the UN bid, deputy Israeli foreign ministry spokeswoman Ilana Stein said: "It is mainly a declarative move, the question is what will the Palestinians do with it. Depending on what steps they take, Israel will act accordingly."

The US, a major donor nation to the PA, could also impose some financial penalties. After Palestine was admitted to Unesco, Washington cut funding to the organisation under legislation dating back to the 1990s. This mandated such a step if any UN agency granted full membership to Palestine before a permanent peace settlement.

Reports before the vote said that Israel had attempted to negotiate with the US over the wording of the UN General Assembly resolution. There were attempts to gain guarantees that the Palestinians would not go to the ICC. However, on the eve of the vote, Mrs Ashrawi insisted: "We have not succumbed to blackmail or pressure."

Some European nations which provide large amounts of aid to the PA are worried that the Palestinians' UN strategy could prove risky. Only nine out of the 27 EU member states recognise Palestine bilaterally. Out of those which do not, France voted for the bid, and Germany and the UK abstained. The UK has requested "certain assurances or amendments" from t he Palestinians, including a commitment not to pursue "ICC jurisdiction over the Occupied Territories at this stage". The Palestinians described the conditions as "unrealistic".

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14