Abbas Threatens ICC Membership, Cutting Security Cooperation if His Security Council Bid Fails

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday reiterated his threat to seek standing before the International Criminal Court and cut security ties with Israel if the UN Security Council Resolution being submitted on behalf of the PA fails to pass. "Fails to pass" means that the United States won't use its veto to defeat the measure which Washington sees as unilateral and detrimental to the peace process. The draft resolution, which is expected to be submitted at any time, will call for a resumption of talks with Israel based on the pre-1967 borders and a specific time-frame for the complete withdrawal of Israel's presence on post-1967 lands —  November 2016 — what the Palestinians call an "end to occupation." Abbas made his comments in Cairo in a meeting of the Arab League which in turn agreed to present the resolution in its name. The League established a committee to lobby for passage of the resolution. Abbas also declared the American-brokered peace process a "failure."