LOC13:23
10:23 GMT
GAZA, June 23 (KUNA) -- Around 118 countries out of 192 members in the
Unites Nations (UN) are expected to support the planned proclamation of the
independent Palestinian state, the Israeli Foreign Ministry announced on
Thursday.
International support for this planned Palestinian step has declined,
especially in Latin America and Europe, Radio Israel quoted Deputy Foreign
Minister Danny Ayalon as saying.
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman instructed his ministry's
director general to prepare a list of countries that did not reach final
decision concerning the support for the Palestinian state, and launch a media
campaign aimed at convincing them of the Israeli view.
The ministry claimed that there mounting disagreements among the
Palestinian leaders as to the wisdom of seeking the UN reognition of the
state, in fear of losing U.S. support and reduce economic aid to the
Palestinian Authority
Lieberman said, last Friday, Israel would remain committed to any agreement
with the Palestinians in case they headed to the UN unilaterally, to seek
their state recognition.
This Palestinian step would be a violation of all the agreements signed
between the two sides, and would jeopardize the Oslo agreement, he said. He
added that Israel by then would dishonor commitments to any agreement, signed
with the Palestinians during the last 18 years.
The Palestinians are planning to head to the UN by next September seeking
international recognition of a Palestinian state according to the 1967
borders, due to the continuous falter in peace talks, a step rejected by
America and Israel.
Catherine Ashton, the European Union's (UN) top foreign Affairs head, said
she was not sure that the Palestinians would succeed in holding voting at the
UN for establishment of a Palestinian state by next September.
Haaretz, the Israeli daily, quoted Ashton as saying that the content of the
resolution is still not clear. (end)
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