U.N. "bust-up" over Palestinian statehood nears

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrives for a meeting with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton at the Millennium Hotel on 44th Street during the 66th session of the General Assembly in New York, Sept. 19, 2011.

/ AP

As the clock ticks toward Friday and the Palestinians' looming formal application for statehood at the U.N., all sides involved -- the Palestinians, the Israelis, the European Union negotiators, and President Obama -- know how high the stakes have become in this face-off.

Palestinian leaders have said it is essentially too late to put the brakes on the request, but feverish negotiations continue to find a solution that would avert the spectacle of a failed bid for statehood in the Security Council.

"The key thing is to see if we can find a way out of the possibility of a great showdown confrontation, and get to a situation where there is a big advance for Palestinian statehood and a renewed negotiation," former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is now Special Envoy of the Quartet on the Middle East, tells CBS News in an exclusive interview.

Palestinian statehood bid spurs U.S. diplomatic push
Palestinians try to change the rules at the U.N.
Abbas: No stopping our bid for statehood

Blair says he's still hopeful an agreement can be reached that will allow both the Israelis and Palestinians to save face, and, hopefully, move the two sides ever so slightly back towards negotiations.

Quartet Representative Tony Blair and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad at a meeting of the donor support group for the Palestinians, Sept. 18, 2011 at United Nations headquarters.

/ AP

"We are trying to get a credible offer together. We've got to deal with the main issues - the borders, Jerusalem, refugees, security," says Blair. "What we have got to do is set a framework for the negotiation and probably combine it with a time line that makes it clear we are serious about the negotiation, but right now we have a situation where we don't have agreement."

Intense talks ongoing over Palestinian statehood

Time, concedes Blair, is running out fast.

"We'll either have a bust-up at the U.N. which will probably mean bad news on the ground, and no negotiation, or we can try and find a way through by agreement which has a step forward for the Palestinians at the U.N. and also a renewed negotiation towards a peace deal. My preference is obviously is to go the route that may yield something rather than the route that, in the end, will just end up with a situation that is difficult for everyone."

Aides to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas made it clear Tuesday that the "bust-up" was all but unavoidable at this late stage.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

/ AP/Pool

Senior aides tell the Associated Press that Abbas remains undaunted by the "tremendous pressure" to drop the statehood bid, including a new call from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for renewed direct negotiations.

"Abbas says to every one: it's enough, 20 years of negotiations are more than enough, the world should intervene and end the Israeli occupation as long as the USA can't," Mohammed Ishtayeh, an Abbas aide, tells the AP.

The consequences will be very real, for all parties.

If the statehood bid goes forward, Israel could end up more isolated in the region, diplomats agree. In addition to hostility from Turkey and Egypt, Israel now has another neighbor, Saudi Arabia, offering to make up the difference in some of the aid that would be cut off from Washington and Israel. The public humiliation of a defeat at the U.N. would also increase anti-Israeli and anti-American sentiment on the Arab "street".

Abbas also has much to lose. Although his gambit of going for broke at the U.N. with an outright request for statehood - knowing it would likely fail - might have seemed reversible when he first proposed it, the concept has taken on a life of its own.

• no previous page
• next

1/2

[RonWillison]

I was born in 1949 and have lived my entire life with the threat of total world destruction because of this ongoing endless stupidity. Enough is enough.

People ask and wonder why the US seems to think everything that Israel does is ok. I do as well. According to many sources and events that I have observed in real time over the years. I've come to the conclusion that America has been controlled by our Quote Israeli friends for decades via "BLACKMAIL" and of course other means. Like election finance money's. Lobby groups,old money bankers and etc.

Any of you that pay attention to world events that are smart enough to know that American mainstream media like the media in most country's does what the govt. tells them to. Any of you who are both smart and have traveled outside of our borders also have figured out that the American people get the most filtered news of any Nation on the Planet, with the exception of N. Korea and maybe China. Home of the free.. Phooey.

The simple fact is. Our quote, "friends" the Israeli Zionists, have turned spying on and monitoring American communications into an art form that has exceeded the efforts and expense that the Soviet Union put forth during the cold war. Why would a quote "trusted friend" feel the need to do that?

All you people on both sides of this issue that use biblical documents to support your notions about God gave that land to Israel. His "Chosen people" need to remember that there are also places that state things like he gave his only begotten son, Who by the way had a fierce problem with the very same people that are behind most of the death, destruction and mayhem that has taken place on this planet since it's inception. "The money changers".

I hate nobody. Don't have a racist bone in my body. You people that throw the "Anti Semite" race card out there every time somebody disagree's with or finds fault with The Israeli powers that be can just stuff It!.

Fact..On 911 in 2001 in New York. An elderly woman observed a group of men filming and celebrating, cheering, dancing, high fiving and in general enjoying the destruction and collapse of the world trade centers. This woman notified police. They responded and in time arrested the afore mentioned group. As it turns out. These men were Israeli intelligence operatives. And upon questioning stated that they were sent here to record the event. They were NOT charged with any crimes to my knowledge and in a very short time frame deported back to Israel. Where they wound up on Israeli TV talking about their mission on 911 and etc. So I ask you. If in fact Israel is a true friend of the US. Would it not be a safe bet to conclude that they informed the US Govt. about what was going to occur on Sept. 11th 2001? There are Only two answers to that question. Neither bode well for Israel or the officials running things in Washington DC that horrible day.
First answer. "Yes" they did warn the US. And the Bush Administration turned a blind eye, and or maybe even cleared the sky's. so to speak, which by the way would explain all the glee shown by those arrested operatives who also know that there exists a voice recording somewhere of that warning conversation.

Or answer number two. The Powers that be running the show in Israel are not the friends they proclaim to be.

You decide. In the meantime here is a simple solution to that mess.

"The resolution Party"
Those that don't participate forgets any US foreign aid FOREVER. The Guest list. Three people that speak and act for Israel. Three people that speak and act for Palestine. The Format one table six chairs. Three on each side.
Two real time streeming Video camera's. Piped to the net and at least one mainstrem media channel on both sides of that wall they are building in Israel. Begins at 8 am. Lunch one hr. at noon. Ends at 5 Pm. If the matter is not resolved by 5 pm. They begin at 8 the next morning. If it takes a 40 hour work week. So be it. Should either side walk out and discontinue the negotiations. They lose US support forever. Five will get you ten they will be back out on the golf course by noon.

I'm fed up with being held hostage by that madness. The US. With its quote "UNWAVERING SUPPORT For our friends in Israel is exactly why this stupidity has gone on this long, and the very root cause of our quote Terrorist boogieman problems. The plain old everyday citizens on both sides of this issue do NOT hate each other in spite of the propaganda slung all around the world by the powers the be in Israel and their spinless lapdogs here in the States. Those People want peace.

[formrusmcsgt]

by MaryPresumptuous September 20, 2011 11:22 AM EDT
Everyone involved is working towards an equitable solution...
---
Which is why Israel promises to stop building illegal settlements and then gives the world the finger and builds them at a record pace, eh?

PUHLEASE. You do not have a clue.

[formrusmcsgt]

by juwboy September 20, 2011 10:55 AM EDT

Why did you make the choice to become a social outcast?
---

Not wishing to see my country subservient to another country's agenda does not make me a social outcast by any means - it makes me a patriot.

I wonder why you aren't one, actually.....

[msimamaji]

I am sick and tired of so-called Israeli supporters attacking President Obama as "weak." What is their idea of a "strong" leader? If they had their way, we'd give Israel a blank credit card, and the Israelis would behave like irresponsible teenagers at the shopping mall - leaving us with a new Religious Crusade which will cost us trillions of dollars and thousands of young American lives.
Obama is doing the best he can - considering he has to deal with a bunch of ignorant religious fanatics who believe that God is on their side. (Do they ever bother ask if they are on the side of God.) So rather than blame Obama, let's blame the people in the Middle East, and there's plenty of blame to go around for everybody, Muslim, Christian and Jew.
Let's also grow up. Our relationship with Israel is NOT a friendship it's a destructive codependent relationship. The Israeli lobby serve as "enablers." Obama has inherited a bad situation that actually began when Abraham exiled Hagar and Ishmael. With this in mind Obama is doing the best he can. Labeling him as "weak" is irresponsible. Such attitudes are not in the best interestes of either Israel or the United States.

[formrusmcsgt]

The situation here is as transparent as Saran Wrap.

The U.S., with it's positions defined for it by AIPAC, joins Israel in the "We have the only game in town" perspective.

And why are the US and Israel SO insistant in that approach?

Because Israel holds all the marbles. Israel's position is that "negotations" are the only path and then conveniently refuse to negotiate in good faith.

If the U.S. and Israel REALLY wanted an equitable solution, they would not oppose the process moving forward.

But they don't, as their actions prove.

[karek40]

juwboy even though gentile Americans outnumber Jewish Americans by 50 to 1, please look at who controls NBC, CBS, ABC, and the movie industry. If you control what people read hear and see, you control the people. There are more 140+ IQ's in the jewish population (per capita) than in any other race (fact).

[superdem1]

Israeli intrangiscence and American duplicity has brought us to this. We completely favor one side, and let the other rot while claiming to be "fair". Fortunately, the world is not under Israeli control and they recognize the endless humiliations of the Palestinian people must stop. Peace is the result of justice, and the Palestinians haven't had justice since the day the ships pulled in with the world's jews aboard. We may refuse to look at the problem for what it is, but the rest of the world has had enough. I am shocked that the U.S. is trying to derail the Palestinians' desperate attempt to wring justice from the world community, it is shameful. We look bad, and Israel looks terrible.

[formrusmcsgt]

That's what happens when you let another country determine your foreign policy for you.

Israel's our pimp and MANY Americans have no problem with that being the case for some strange reason........

[formrusmcsgt]

Once again, the U.S. will prove to the world that it's Israel's 800-pound trained gorilla on the UNSC.

It's only proved same about 400 times over the years shooting down resolutions that condemn Israel for it's crimes against the Palestinians, so nothing new.....

[formrusmcsgt]

by juwboy September 20, 2011 9:20 AM EDT

What Israeli apartheid?

----

Educate yourself:

"The State of Israel's treatment of the Palestinians has been compared by United Nations investigators, human rights groups and critics of Israeli policy to South Africa's treatment of non-whites during its apartheid era. Israel has also been accused of committing the crime of apartheid."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_and_the_apartheid_analogy

[formrusmcsgt]

You can't dispute the truth, so you try to attack the messenger.

Weak.

[formrusmcsgt]

by karek40 September 20, 2011 7:36 AM EDT
Those nations that bless Israel God will bless...
---
Get off the bus.

[formrusmcsgt]

by Fatesrider September 20, 2011 6:10 AM EDT
If I were Obama, I'd tell our UN ambassador to NOT veto the bid.
---
So would I, but AIPAC sets our ME foreign policy, not Obama.