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US Senate calls for diplomatic campaign against recognition of a Palestinian state

February 4, 2014 at 11:27 am

The US Senate has called on the Obama administration to launch a diplomatic campaign “to convince the world not to recognise a Palestinian state, in case the matter is presented to the UN Security Council.” The Senate confirmed its opposition to any attempt by the Security Council to recognise a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders. It said that America should use its veto if the state was declared unilaterally, without Israel’s consent.


The Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee in the Senate, Howard Berman, said that the United States supports the negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis, but it will react against any attempt to recognize a Palestinian state, adding, “Peace must come as a result of direct negotiations between the parties.” He called on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to return to negotiations with Israel.

President Abbas has said that he intends to go to the Security Council for the recognition of a Palestinian state on the basis of 1967 borders, following the failure of the United States to put pressure on Israel to halt settlement activity in order to resume negotiations. Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay have already announced their recognition of such a state in the past couple of weeks.