Palestinians mobilizing support for statehood

The Jakarta Post, Edith M. Lederer, Associated Press, United Nations | Thu, 06/02/2011

The Palestinians hope to mobilize countries, political leaders and millions of supporters to back their demand for recognition as an independent state in September, the Palestinian's top U.N. diplomat said Wednesday.

Riyad Mansour told a group of reporters Wednesday that the Palestinian people are ready to take to the streets peacefully as they did in 1987, and follow in the footsteps of Tunisians and Egyptians earlier this year, to demand an end to Israel's occupation and independence.

The United States, Israel's ally, is the main stumbling block to U.N. recognition of a Palestinian state because of its veto power on the Security Council. The 15-member council must recommend statehood, and only then can the 192-member General Assembly vote on membership, which must be approved by a two-thirds majority.

Mansour indicated that a key Palestinian goal in the coming months is to increase the number of states recognizing Palestine from 112 at present to 130 or 140, more than the two-thirds required, and to increase pressure on President Barack Obama's administration.

"I need to mobilize the largest number of forces, whether in the ground or in the political front or in the recognition, where I make it possible to prevail on our agenda in September," Mansour said. "This battle is not a battle of a few diplomats and a few politicians. This is a battle of the entire Palestinian people."

He said the readiness of the Palestinian people "is extremely high - it's exactly like the Egyptians, the Tunisians and other Arabs who are taking their cause in their hands."

Mansour wouldn't say exactly what would happen between now and September in the Palestinian territories, but he indicated that there could be protests that spread elsewhere.

"If hundred of thousands of Palestinians are in the streets for weeks and weeks before D-day in September expressing their desire to end occupation and seek independence - and to be supported by millions of Arabs in the Arab capitals and cities, and maybe millions of supporters from all the way to Indonesia and in the United States and Europe - then what would be the argument of President Barack Obama in trying really to disregard this wish, not only of the Palestinian leadership but the entire Palestinian population?," he asked.

Mansour said if diplomacy and peaceful protests aren't sufficient, "we have other tactics that we can use in order to flex additional muscles in order to make it very, very difficult for anyone to obstruct our effort." But he refused to elaborate on what those tactics might be.

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