Palestinian Chief Negotiator Calls for Resumption of UN Recognition Efforts

While waiting to learn whether Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will accept his resignation, chief negotiator Sa’ib Ariqat told a radio interviewer on Wednesday that the PA should not wait until the end of the agreed-upon nine-month negotiation period promised to US Secretary of State John Kerry, but should resume its campaign to get United Nations-affiliated organizations to recognize Palestinian statehood. Promising to forestall the UN campaign was the Palestinian concession that helped jump-start the talks after a hiatus of three years. Of particular importance to the Palestinians is obtaining membership in the International Court of Justice at The Hague where the PA plans to bring scores of lawsuits against Israelis charging war crimes and crimes against humanity. Ariqat said Israel’s continued building in its communities located in areas acquired in the 1967 war proves Prime Minister Netanyahu is not interested in pursuing peace. It’s been 3 weeks since the last negotiating session and no new meetings are planned, and Ariqat confirmed what many have suggested: that the talks are still in the stage where the sides address their concerns to the American interlocutors rather than discussing the issues one-on-one. A poll released on Wednesday by the Jerusalem Media and Communication Center, showed half of the Palestinian population believing it was a mistake to sign-on to SecState Kerry’s peace process while 68.7% predicted talks will fail.