Palestinians Want Deadline on Statehood

Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations Riyad Mansour on Monday pushed for the Security Council to adopt a resolution with a deadline for establishing a Palestinian state.

Soundbite: “I am sure that we are ready and willing to see if the Security Council has the political will to adopt a resolution that deals with the time frame to end the negotiation and the occupation.”

The Palestinians also want a framework on statehood to be built around pre-1967 borders. Mansour also said they want Jerusalem as the capital of two states.

Last year, the council rejected a Palestinian resolution demanding statehood within three years.

The United States opposed that draft while saying that Palestinian statehood can only be achieved through negotiations. The U.S. didn’t need to use its veto because the resolution didn’t receive the minimum nine votes needed for approval.

However the U.S. administration is signaling that it may reverse its policy.

President Barack Obama said on March 19 that he would reassess U.S. policy toward Israel. This followed a campaign comment by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that a Palestinian state would not be established during his time in office.

Without a U.S. shield from the UN Security Council, Israel’s situation will be severely weakened.

After President Obama’s comments, the French foreign minister said France would propose a council resolution to provide a framework for negotiations to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Based on Bible prophecies, the Trumpet expects the U.S.-Israeli alliance to deteriorate. This will give Palestinians greater momentum to achieve their goals, leading to greater instability in the Middle East. For more information on why this relationship is weakening and where it will lead, read “Breaking the Brotherhood.”