MidnightWatcher – Prophecy in Motion

“Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki said Thursday that the Palestinians will submit a bid for full membership at the United Nations Security Council on September 23, but said that they would be open to other suggestions.

The remarks by Malki put an end to speculation that the Palestinians might avoid a showdown with the United States by sidestepping the Security Council and going directly to the UN General Assembly to seek a lesser status of a non-member observer.

Malki said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will personally submit the Palestinian request for membership to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon after addressing the General Assembly on the afternoon of Sept. 23. In the meantime, he said the Palestinians would listen to suggested alternatives.

‘We will see if anyone carries with him or her any credible offer that will allow us to look into it seriously and to be discussed in the Palestinian leadership. Otherwise, on the 23rd at 12:30, the president will submit the application,’ Malki told foreign journalists in Ramallah.

The U.S. does not wield veto power in the General Assembly, and a Palestinian bid there would be expected to win majority approval.” Read more.

Netanyahu says he’ll address UN ahead of PA statehood vote – “After weeks of deliberation, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced Thursday that he would go to a United Nations General Assembly meeting next week to discuss the Palestinian statehood bid. Speaking at a press conference with visiting Czech Prime Minister Petr Nečas, Netanyahu said he will ‘speak the truth to those who want to hear it’ at the UN General Assembly. Netanyahu said that the General Assembly is not ‘the place where Israel generally gets reasonable hearing,’ but it was nonetheless important to present Israel’s position.” Read more.