Palestinians Push for UN Resolution Against Trump Peace Plan

The Palestinian Authority is working behind the scenes on a draft United Nations resolution to condemn US President Donald Trump’s peace plan. According to Israeli media, the text of the resolution argues that the proposal “breaches international law and the internationally endorsed terms of reference for the achievement of a just, comprehensive and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as enshrined in the relevant United Nations resolutions, and undermines the inalienable rights and national aspirations of the Palestinian people.” PA President Mahmoud Abbas is slated next week to visit New York, where he is expected to address the Security Council. It marks the latest effort in Abbas’ full-throttle diplomatic campaign against the so-called deal of the century, following his weekend trip to Cairo where the Arab League voted unanimously to rebuff the US plan. Abbas had already rejected the document out of hand prior to its release last week during a ceremony at the White House attended by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. The Israeli government has, in principle, accepted the Trump parameters as a basis for peace talks, even as Abbas has vowed to relegate the initiative to the “dustbins of history.” While the prospective UN resolution will assuredly be vetoed by the US, Abbas is reportedly hoping that most, if not all, countries on the 15-member council will support the bid to further sideline the Trump Administration and thus increase the likelihood of its plan failing. On Wednesday, Israel’s ambassador to the international body slammed the PA, saying in a statement: “Enough with the shows already. Instead of coming to the UN, come to the negotiating table.”