Palestinians Resume Bid For Further UN Recognition

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas yesterday announced resumption of a campaign for further international recognition of the Palestine state despite an earlier decision to suspend such efforts during nine months of negotiations with Israel.

In a ceremony telecast live from his West Bank headquarters, he signed applications for Palestinians to join fifteen international treaties and conventions. Abbas said that the latest move was due to Israel’s failure to carry out the promised release of Palestinian prisoners by the end of March and added that he has no intention of confrontation with the US and would continue to “reach a peaceful solution through negotiations” with Israel.

US Secretary of State John Kerry cancelled plans to return to the Middle East today and said that it’s “completely premature” to write off the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks he restarted in late July. “We urge both sides to show restraint while we work with them”, he told a news conference in Brussels, where he was attending a meeting of NATO foreign ministers. Israel made no immediate comment.

Infoeditor