BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) – The Palestinians have turned down a US request to avoid seeking a UN Security Council resolution condemning Israeli settlements in the occupied territories, the chief PLO negotiator said Sunday.
Saeb Erekat told Ma'an that "The Americans don’t want anything to be submitted to the Security Council, but we insist that we consider the Security Council our path toward international legitimacy."
Erekat said the Palestinian envoy to the UN, Riyad Mansour, was scheduled to consult all UN groups in order to determine when to submit the draft resolution, which has already been worded.
"We don’t want the draft resolution to be vetoed by the US," Erekat added highlighting that the PA has been involved in consultations with Arab, regional, and international players including the US.
The draft resolution, according to Erekat, is based on international positions including the US stance, which was expressed in President Barack Obama’s speech at the University of Cairo and in Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s comments three weeks ago.
It condemns settlement construction as an illegal action and applies the Geneva Convention, signed in 1947, on the occupied Palestinian territories including Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. The resolution is also meant as a request to end settlement activities so as to resume negotiations on final status issues.
"In case the US vetoes the resolution, we know that at least we have tried and used all available means. We will not abstain from doing what we can do just because we think this side or another will oppose it," Erekat added.
The PLO official reiterated that Israel was responsible for thwarting the peace process when it chose settlement construction at the expense of peace.
"The Israelis are responsible for the collapse of the peace process, not only at Israeli-Palestinian level, but they are also responsible for the repercussions of that collapse in the whole region because the policy they chose leads to chaos, extremism and bloodshed."
'1,400 housing units approved for Jerusalem settlement'
Erekat's remarks came just after Israeli military radio reported on a massive new construction project of at least 1,400 homes in a settlement neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem.
The homes will be built in the settlement of Gilo, near Bethlehem, and are expected to be given the green light by the district planning commission in coming days, the report said.
Speaking on the radio, municipal councillors confirmed the project, which was denounced by leftwingers but hailed by the right.
Peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians have deadlocked over the issue of settlement in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
The Palestinians have refused to negotiate with Israel while it builds on land they want for their future state, but Israel has insisted on continuing settlement construction.
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