US says Palestinian State should pass through 'Israel', not UN
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Washington says the establishment of a Palestinian State should be through negotiations with "Israel" and not through the United Nations.
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Palestinian flags flutter on a square in the city of Rawabi, just north of Ramallah in the West Bank, on September 5, 2014 (AFP)
The United States announced on Wednesday its opposition to the Palestinian authority attempting to get a full United Nations membership, saying that its backing of establishing a Palestinian state would come after negotiations with the Israeli occupation.
"We support the establishment of an independent Palestinian state," and that is something "that should be done through direct negotiations through the parties, something we are pursuing at this time, and not at the United Nations," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters.
Miller stated that Secretary of State Antony Blinken has been actively involved in creating "security guarantees" for the Israeli occupation as part of the foundation for a Palestinian state.
This comes as Israelis continue to build settlements in the West Bank, which is recognized by the United Nations and Washington as "Palestinian territory," without facing any legal consequences or penalties.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has for decades resisted a Palestinian state and leads a far-right government with members hostile to the Palestinian Authority, which holds limited autonomy in sections of the West Bank.
The Palestinian Authority has sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres requesting the Security Council to review a longstanding request for statehood in April.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly rejected the establishment of a Palestinian State.
The Knesset passed a draft government resolution last February rejecting any unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state. The resolution was passed with an overwhelming majority of votes, as 99 out of 120 Israeli lawmakers backed the legislation.
In 2011, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas launched a statehood application, which was not considered by the Security Council. However, the General Assembly granted observer status to the "State of Palestine" in the following year.
Any application for UN membership must first receive a recommendation from the Security Council, where the United States, "Israel's" primary supporter, and four other countries have veto power. It must then be approved by a two-thirds majority in the GA.
