Arabs to seek full Palestinian upgrade at U.N

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"The Arab League will ask the United Nations to upgrade the Palestinians to full member status, a draft statement from a league meeting in Qatar said on Thursday.

"It was decided to go to the United Nations to request the recognition of the state of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital and to move ahead and request a full membership," said the communique, a copy of which was obtained by Reuters.

The statement did not provide a timeline, indicating the application would be made in time for the U.N. assembly in September. A Palestinian delegate said the Arab League had appointed a committee to determine dates.

Full member status would require approval in the Security Council, where Israel's ally the United States had said it would veto any such resolution.

The Palestinians, who currently hold U.N. "observer" status, had previously pledged to seek U.N. endorsement in September for their claim of sovereignty in the Gaza Strip, and the Israeli-occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem."

http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCATRE76D21020110714

[damntexdem]

1. As they indeed should.

And the UN should grant it. Of course, there's the U.S. veto power in the Security Council; but everything should be pushed for anyway.

[Scurrilous]

2. Israelis and Arabs to march in Jerusalem in support of Palestinian independence

Organizers say thousands expected to take part in Friday's 'March for Independence,' the first such Jewish-Arab event in 20 years.

<snip>

"Thousands of Israelis and Palestinians are expected to take part in a march on Friday, titled 'March for Independence' calling for the recognition of a Palestinian state.

The organizers of the march said that the recognition of Palestine as an independent state should come before negotiations, and not as a result.

The event represents a rare cooperation between the left-wing Solidarity movement and the popular committees of East Jerusalem. The organizers claim that this is the first Jewish-Arab event of its kind to be held in Jerusalem since 1991.

The march will begin in Jaffa Gate and end in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, the opposite route taken by right-wing activists during Jerusalem Day last month.

The event is coordinated with the police, and the organizers have pledged to prevent any violence from breaking out, despite right-wing counter-protests expected to take place."

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israelis-and-arabs-to-march-in-jerusalem-in-support-of-palestinian-independence-1.373239

[Jefferson23]

3. Very good! n/t