‘State of Palestine’ Will Lead UN Bloc of 135 Nations

The Palestinian campaign to achieve statehood through facts on the ground rather than via the negotiation process has triumphed with the designation of “the state of Palestine” to head the bloc of 135 developing nations known as the “Group of 77.” Although not an indication of statehood per se, the post provides a significant bully pulpit from which the undeniable reality emerging is that “Palestine” is leading an aggregate of about 80 percent of the world’s population. The United States and Israel insist that statehood can be created only through negotiations. But when the peace process ground to a halt after former Secretary of State John Kerry’s mission during the Obama tenure failed, Palestinian leaders accelerated two alternative tracks toward, if not “statehood per se,” de facto statehood established by the recognition of individual nations and the United Nations – traditionally friendly territory for the Palestinians; and bringing charges against Israelis at the International Criminal Court at The Hague. Meanwhile, America’s Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley on Tuesday issued a strong rebuke to Arab nations for paying lip service to the Palestinians but not doing enough to help them. Israel’s UN ambassador Danny Danon reiterated his nation’s position that allowing the Palestinians to achieve indications of statehood outside of negotiations has the effect of encouraging them not to negotiate.