ISRAEL: Israelis rally for U.N. bid.

Record ID: 397722

  • Title: ISRAEL: Israelis rally for U.N. bid.
  • Date: 29th November 2012
  • Summary: TEL AVIV, ISRAEL (NOVEMBER 29, 2012) (REUTERS) PROTEST BY ISRAELI PEACE ACTIVISTS SUPPORTING PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT UN BID ACTIVISTS AT PROTEST PROTESTERS CHANTING SIGN READING IN HEBREW "PALESTINIAN STATE ALONG WITH ISRAEL' WOMAN CARRYING PALESTINIAN FLAG PEOPLE CHANTING PALESTINIAN FLAG MAN CHANTING PROTEST (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISRAELI LAWMAKER, NITZAN HOROWITZ, SAYING
  • Embargoed: 14th December 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Israel
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA7JBSOIPQOVFU9C30G96S75DEZ
  • Story Text: Israelis protest in support with Palestinian President UN bid.


    Israeli peace activists demonstrated in Tel Aviv on Thursday (November 29) to support the Palestinians bid to claim observer statehood at the United Nations in a vote that is assured of a majority.
    Among the crowd in Tel Aviv was Israeli lawmaker Nitzan Horowitz, who said peace will only come through negotiations.
    "The creation of the Palestinian state side by side with Israel with peace and security is primarily an Israeli interest. This is why tonight we Israelis we are saying yes to the Palestinian state because we think that this conflict here in Israel between Israelis and Palestinians will only be solved through negotiations," he said.
    Israel, the United States and a handful of other members are planning to vote against what they see as a largely symbolic and counterproductive move by the Palestinians. They say the only genuine route to statehood is at the negotiating table, through a peace accord hammered out in direct talks with Israel. However Palestinian officials say they have so far gathered 141 yes votes and expect Germany, Britain and the Czech Republic to abstain, rather than vote against them, in a blow to Israel.
    Israel, arguing it would hinder efforts to conclude a peace treaty after 65 years of conflict, had mounted an intensive campaign to dissuade European governments from backing the Palestinian move in the 193-nation U.N. General Assembly, where there has long been strong support for the Palestinian cause.
    Alon Liel, a former General Director of Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it is a day to celebrate. "I think it is an historic day on the 29th of November the UN is recognizing the Palestinian state and I think it is not only a great day for Palestine and for the Palestinians, it's also a great day for us Israelis who always believe that there should be two states to these two different people," he said.
    The Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said he would relaunch the peace process immediately following the U.N. vote. Talks have been stalled for two years, mainly over the issue of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which have expanded despite being deemed illegal by most of the world.
    The vote takes place on a date burned into collective memory - when the Assembly voted on Nov. 29, 1947 for Resolution 181, to partition British-ruled Palestine into two states, one Arab, one Jewish. Arab rulers rejected it and, after bitter fighting, Israel alone was recognised as a state six months later.
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