In 2012, the U.N. General Assembly passed a resolution granting Palestine the status of a non-member observer state.
The diplomatic cables detail pressure being applied to members of the Security Council, including Malta, the rotating president of the council this month. Ecuador in particular is being asked to lobby Malta and other nations, including France, to oppose U.N. recognition. The State Department's justification is that normalizing relations between Israel and Arab states is the fastest and most effective way to achieve an enduring and productive statehood.
While clarifying that President Joe Biden has worked vigorously to support "Palestinian aspirations for statehood" within the context "of a comprehensive peace that would resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," a diplomatic cable dated April 12 details U.S. talking points against a U.N. vote for Palestinian statehood. The cable says that Security Council members must be persuaded to reject any proposal for Palestinian statehood โ and thereby its recognition as a sovereign nation โ before the council's open debate on the Middle East, scheduled for April 18.
The cable reads:
"It remains the U.S. view that the most expeditious path toward a political horizon for the Palestinian people is in the context of a normalization agreement between Israel and its neighbors. We believe this approach can tangibly advance Palestinian goals in a meaningful and enduring way.To view the rest of this article, go here.
"We therefore urge you not to support any potential Security Council resolution recommending the admission of 'Palestine' as a U.N. member state, should such a resolution be presented to the Security Council for a decision in the coming days and weeks."
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