NEW YORK, Sept 18: Despite American diplomatic pressure, Pakistan and India would support a Palestinian bid for full membership of the United Nations at the General Assembly meeting beginning this week, diplomats here said.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced on Friday that his administration was “going to the United Nations to request our legitimate right, obtaining full membership for Palestine in this organisation”. Future negotiations with Israel, he said, “no matter how difficult, will be between one state and another”.
India, a non-permanent member of the 15-member UN Security Council has supported the Palestinians quest for statehood. If the resolution is put to vote in the Security Council since Palestinians are demanding full membership, India will vote for the resolution both in the UN General Assembly and the council.
But the United States has declared that it opposition to move and the US Senate adopted a resolution in June urging President Barack Obama to veto the Palestinian bid. Besides the veto threat, US ambassador to the UN Susan Rice has warned that her country could also withdraw funding for the United Nations — estimated at $500 million a year — if the vote went through. A US veto would effectively end the Palestinian bid.
While some Pakistani diplomats have advised their government that supporting the Palestinian bid could further strain its already tense relations with the US, Pakistan may find it difficult to oppose or stay neutral on this issue if it is put to vote in the UN since India has openly declared support.
An announcement by Indian Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai on Friday that New Delhi would support the Palestinian move has made it even more difficult for Pakistan to stay neutral.
Both Pakistan and India were among the first countries to accord diplomatic recognition to the Palestinian state when it was proclaimed in November 1988.
The Palestine Liberation Organisation has had observer status at the United Nations as a “non-state entity” since 22 November 1974, which entitles it to speak in the UN General Assembly without the right to vote. After the Declaration of Independence, the UN General Assembly officially “acknowledged” the proclamation and voted to use the designation “Palestine” instead of the “PLO” when referring to the Palestinian permanent observer.
