Palestinians Turn U.S. Threats to Their Own Benefit

After yesterday’s meeting between Russia’s minister of foreign affairs, Sergei Lavrov, and the leader of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, at the UN headquarters in New York, it finally became clear: Palestinians have decided to request that the UN Security Council recognize their independent statehood.

For many it may seem absurd, but in a sense Abbas is not only helping the U.S. save face, but also providing Israel with one more chance to resolve all of the contested issues through direct negotiations. After Washington indicated a few weeks ago that it would veto any resolution concerning the recognition of Palestinian independence, most experts were convinced that the Palestinians would appeal directly to the UN General Assembly for the special status that would give them the right to join a majority of international organizations. However, it seems that Abbas preferred not to be limited by half-measures.

It also seems that in a very difficult diplomatic situation, this is the most far-sighted of all possible decisions. The crowning jewel here is that addressing the Security Council implies the observance of several procedural nuances. This means that no matter what, a decision will not be made soon. Maybe it will come in a month, maybe in a year.

In any case, Tel Aviv, Washington and all the other capitals that are interested in a speedy exit from the Middle East’s Israel-Palestine impasse should, without a doubt, appreciate such a tactical move. Firstly, appealing to the Security Council gives Abbas the opportunity to strengthen his leadership position among Palestinians. After all, it demonstrates his determination to fight for Palestinian independence even under the most unfavorable circumstances. Certainly, the Arab world values this behavior from Abbas.

Secondly, I recall that over the last few months Washington has made every effort to delay the UN vote on recognizing the Palestinian state. And there, it seems, American diplomats have succeeded. Moreover, Abbas himself has been their main “helper.” I will repeat: It is obvious that the Security Council vote will not happen anytime soon.

At the opening of the 66th session of the UN General Assembly, U.S. President Barack Obama most certainly felt like a fish out of water. He delivered a very long and emotional speech, which experts here deemed extremely pro-Israel. Obama repeated the word “Israel” so many times that it seemed as if the president of the Promised Land, not the president of the U.S., was addressing the world from the General Assembly podium.

However, recently, he was angry with Israeli politicians who emphatically and defiantly buried one American Middle Eastern initiative after another at the same time that Obama, who is setting out on his campaign for a second presidential term, really needed foreign policy victories. But now Obama has one thing going, and it was Mahmoud Abbas who gave it to him, not Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

It must be said that the Israeli leader also had the opportunity to help the U.S. president remain in the White House in the fall 2012 elections. Not all the benefits that Israel might draw from the Palestinian address to the U.N. Security Council are far off, but to start, Netanyahu should at least stop opposing the resumption of direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

Clearly Abbas is offering Israel the opportunity to resolve all of the contested issues without intermediaries. Obama even referred to this numerous times in his pro-Israel speech: “Peace will not come through statements and resolutions at the United Nations. If it were that easy, it would have been accomplished by now. Ultimately, it is the Israelis and the Palestinians who must live side by side. Ultimately, it is the Israelis and the Palestinians — not us — who must reach agreement on the issues that divide them: on borders and on security, on refugees and Jerusalem.”

It is hard to argue with that. They even agree on the staging of talks about the issues in Moscow. Two days earlier, in an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Sergei Lavrov stated, “In their address to the U.N., Palestinians want to again emphasize the urgency of a speedy negotiation to the resolution of the Palestinian problem on a universally and internationally legal basis. We support them in this. We think that every effort should be made to establish mutually acceptable terms for the resumption of negotiations.” A source high up in the Russian delegation reported that this is what Lavrov and Abbas had discussed in New York. Another question is whether or not Israel is ready to adequately respond to the Palestinian proposition. If yes, then in the near future a resolution to recognize Palestinian statehood may be unanimously accepted.