Obama Asks Palestinians to Back Off Push for Statehood

Despite the US President's protest, the Palestinian Authority will appeal to the United Nations for 'observer state' status

President Obama is rejecting a Palestinian push for statehood, reports Politico. He's asked Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas via phone call to avoid seeking to upgrade from United Nations "entity" status to a non-member state.

According to The Jewish Daily Forward, being recognized as non-member or "observer" state would grant the Palestinian Authority access to the International Criminal Court, where formal complaints against Israel could be filed. Though Obama warned against efforts to achieve statehood via the UN at this time, he nonetheless affirmed the "objective of two states living side by side in peace and security," according to a White House statement.

Abbas, however, plans to go forward with a draft resolution to the UN that would recognize the territory under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority as an "observer state."

"President Abbas cited the reasons and motives for the Palestinian decision to seek non-member statehood as continued Israeli settlement activity and continued attacks on Palestinians and their property," said an aide to Abbas.

Via Politico and The Jewish Daily Forward.

Do you support a Palestinian bid for statehood?

[Neo_NtheMatrix]

Foreign policy has been a disaster under this president. Benghazi, Patreaus, Iran's nuclear ambitions, Arab Spring, throwing Israel under the bus, etc. I am literally terrified at what negatives will happen in the world under a second term of obama the apologizer. People say I spread doom and gloom. Not so. Most people that know me in real life describe me as a very cheery, upbeat person. However, who can watch the news these days and not be in total fear. I still can't believe 60M people were foolish enough to throw the American dream by the wayside. Truly scary times we are living in.

Btw, Palestine should not be a member of the UN. They are a terrorist organization. But obama caused this with his ill advised statements to Israel early in his first term. Lord, let us make it to 2016, please!

[Laradian]

This is not a difficult problem to fix. Remove the Jews from Israel. They no longer belong there. They are not God's people anymore because they refused to listen to Him, the prophets sent to her and lastly Jesus.

Therefore God sent the Romans as His sword to punish them and completely destroy the temple. It will never be rebuilt again with God's blessing.

Get the Jew out of Israel and there will be peace in the region.

[DogLady_1]

@Laradian Are you a prophet? Are you God's chosen arbiter of who belongs to God and who doesn't? And where exactly do you suppose we should send the Jews? Are you proposing an ethnic cleansing like Rwanda or Darfur? Because I don't much "peace" in that region...

[LetsAllBeHappy]

@Laradian I do not mean this rudely or as an insult-However, I do mean it---that was the craziest thing i have ever heard.

[fact-check]

The correct spelling is " Petraeus," just in case you wanted to know.

[LetsAllBeHappy]

@fact-check don't be looking at my spelling or grammer-it would take too much of your time-just go with it

[Synthesis]

I don't see why we don't give them statehood. What's there to lose?

[Buzzfriendly]

Why is this any of our business?

[GetAwake]

Because we're the "World Police". Haven't you seen the movie? America...F**K YEAH!! We've got it so good swimming in debt that we owe it to everyone else...

[Buzzfriendly]

@GetAwake Call me lazy, call me selfish but when we can get our own statehood in order then, if asked, we can weigh in on other countries initiatives regarding statehood.

[GetAwake]

@Buzzfriendly You f'n LAZY, commonsensical, pointing-out-the-obvious do-gooder YOU! Watch Sitter get all confused by that one...

[IraqWarVeteran]

Israel? No, I recognize the Palestine and the Palestinian land for what I care. American media shows Palestinians in Gaza as terrorists launching rockets into “Israeli cities.” Now, tell me why did the Israel steal land from Egypt — Sinai peninsula — and held it until 1979 in the Six Day War? Why did Israel attacked USS Liberty? Why did militant Zionist bombed British administrative headquarters for Palestine in King David Hotel bombing? Why did Lawrance Franklin was caught in 2004 espionage scandal for passing documantation to the Israeli government through the AIPAC, regarding policies towards Iran? Why did Israel settled and occupied the Palestine? Why did the FBI released silently the Five Dancing Israelis days after caught on George Washington Bridge on 9/11 for after seen filming and dancing as the WTC was burning and people died? Why did Israel wanted to expand and occupy half of Middle East? I have seen peaceful Jews who rant “Free Palestine” and they are Jews not Zionists. Take that fact seriously.

[IraqWarVeteran]

American foreign policy shall be what Ron Paul says, "Golden Rule."
http://youtu.be/N4UnkyNJGmw
http://youtu.be/HcAam5kjcH0
http://youtu.be/pfBKKh0C2eo

[FFX_VA]

Iraq Vet, I read your post and am not sure I understand your position (But I haven't had my coffee yet). Yes or no. Should Palestine be a State? Does Israel have the right to exist as a State?

[IraqWarVeteran]

@FFX_VA In my position the recognition of statehood by the UN or returning of Gaza to Egyptian rule and West Bank to Jordanian rule. I'm not anti-Semite or pro-Iranian ayatollah regime to call for the annihilation of Israel.

[DogLady_1]

@FFX_VA - Should Palestine be a state? My answer: It's not up to me. I am an American, not a Palestinian... imagine Russia contesting our nation's sovereignty, or China threateneing to stop doing business with us if we don't let them control our own government... Israel and Palestine have the right to be states, but they need to first decide if they want to be soveriegn, and not dependents. We meddle too much in the affairs of other nations... this is completely opposite of what we are supposed to stand for... liberty, sovereignty, independence... And Israel and Palestine have both been accused of being terrorist organizations... just depends on whether you are promoting liberty or hegemony.

[FFX_VA]

@DogLady_1 You are correct DL1, it's not up to us, it's the United Nations who recognizes nation states for the world. The US does have veto power, but international relations is immensely complex and the Middle East even more so.

So why is our government involved at all? What is in it for us?

[MRMacrum]

I am so sick and tired of that part of the world and it's collective failure to get its act together I just do not care what they do.

[IraqWarVeteran]

Our foreign policy cares what they do, so do I. Human rights violations and unlawful bombing with chemical weapons — white phosphorus — by the Israeli Air Force against civilians.

[MRMacrum]

@IraqWarVeteran - Since it would seem our foreign policy with regards to Israel and the rest of that are has been less than successful in resolving anything, I am wondering what you might suggest. I just do not see anything changing without both sides backing off their rigid stands.

[IraqWarVeteran]

@MRMacrum Ron Paul's Golden Rule
http://youtu.be/N4UnkyNJGmw

[MRMacrum]

@IraqWarVeteran - Yeah I remember that. And I do like his attitude about war and defense. I have long been an advocate of stopping our incessant meddling in other's affairs. I guess my throwing up my hands and giving up is just that this crap has been going on since well before I was born. No matter what we do I see it continuing well into the future. Nothing will change a fanatics mind. Nothing will change Israel's resolve to do what it thinks it needs to do.I just do not see a happy ending for anyone.

[fact-check]

@MRMacrum: You refusal to take any responsibility for the previous actions, and current incation of your government has been duly noted.

[RobertJHarsh]

Palestine needs to be a recognized state Period. They would have had a Hong Kong there if Arafat wasn't so stupid and greedy and sold his people up the river.

[DARSB]

I think a two-state solution is the obvious goal, but the current Israeli government is awfully conservative. There are elections there in January, though, and while Mr Netanyahu is likely to be reelected he may also have a more centrist coalition to deal with. Could be a chance for some progress, maybe.

[seedtick]

Well, what can Barack Husssein Obama expect? He must now harvest the fruits of his labors...he courted these guys for the past four years, pandered to them at Israel's expense, so now he must deal with it. This is just more evidence that he is not a leader...on any stage. Palestine does not trust BHO now because he made so much love with Israel during his campaigning. Hell, how can you trust a guy like that, "him speak with forked tounge."

[DogLady_1]

"War has all the characteristics of socialism most conservatives hate: Centralized power, state planning, false rationalism, restricted liberties, foolish optimism about intended results, and blindness to unintended secondary results." –-Joseph Sobran

[IMAQT]

"Palestine has never existed ... as an autonomous entity.

There is no language known as Palestinian. There is no distinct Palestinian culture. There has never been a land known as Palestine governed by Palestinians. Palestinians are Arabs, indistinguishable from Jordanians (another recent invention), Syrians, Lebanese, Egyptians, Iraqis, etc.
Yasser Arafat, perhaps the most recognized “Palestinian” was born in Egypt.

Keep in mind that the Arabs control 99.9 percent of the Middle East lands. Israel represents one-tenth of one percent of the landmass.

But that's too much for the Arabs. They want it all. And that is ultimately what the fighting in Israel is about today. Greed. Pride. Envy. Covetousness. No matter how many land concessions the Israelis make, it will never be enough."

[bsking]

Obama's using his skills as a community organizer . his intentions are to agitate . the Palestinians thought that Obama had their back, they will look at this move like it betrayal, which will fan the flame of hostilitiy in the region.

[LetsAllBeHappy]

I am ignorant on this subject-I thought Palestine was a nation-I need to research this

[fact-check]

I guess ignorance is bliss for some people.

[LetsAllBeHappy]

@fact-check well not when you want to comment on something-and I like to comment-but I would hate to sound stupid-but than saying I am ignorant-hopefully is not the same as my being stupid

[David944]

I did not know either. What I have found with a quick search says there has never been a Palestinian state and the what we call Palestinians came from Jordan. I could be wrong I am defiantly not an expert.

[David944]

This may be another obama head fake. Be careful not to bite to quick.

[LetsAllBeHappy]

OK-what research I could do-the Ottomen Empire ruled the land where Isreal and Palestine has settled-than The British took control-both Isreal and Palestine did not like the British control so both fought the Brits to get them out of there-The Brits ask the UN to take over-control-until than Isrealis and Palestianians lived side by side in a shared land-Then Bam, the UN made Isreal a nation, divided the land they shared with Palestine-but did not make Palestine a nation-or give them statehood. Why not? Perhaps if the UN gave Palesitinians the dignity to be a nation-or statehood it would solve the tensions. However, I do believe Isreal should keep Jerusalam, as far as I can trace back historically, it has been a sacred spot for the Jews. I could be wrong but I have not found history that Jerusalam was a sacred spot for Palestine--not for sure-just saying

[IraqWarVeteran]

During the Ottoman rule, Israel didn't exist neither when the British Empire ruled the Palestine. In 1920-1948, Mandatory Palestine was the official name under British rule.

[LetsAllBeHappy]

@IraqWarVeteran I believe I said that

[IraqWarVeteran]

@LetsAllBeHappy "both Israel and Palestine did not like the British control." Israel was declared a Jewish state in 1948 but the British ruled 1920-1948.

[LetsAllBeHappy]

@IraqWarVeteran this is my whole statement,"The British took control-both Isreal and Palestine did not like the British control so both fought the Brits to get them out of there-The Brits ask the UN to take over-control-until than Isrealis and Palestianians lived side by side in a shared land-Then Bam, the UN made Isreal a nation," I said the UN made Isreal a nation-