MIDEAST: Palestinians hopeful U.N. statehood bid has convinced the international community

Record ID: 792308

  • Title: MIDEAST: Palestinians hopeful U.N. statehood bid has convinced the international community
  • Date: 25th September 2011
  • Summary: MORE OF HEBRON STREET GAZA CITY, GAZA (SEPTEMBER 24, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF GAZA MARKET IN MORNING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) GAZA RESIDENT ANWAR HANIYEH, SAYING: "My message to Abu Mazen (referring to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas) is to go back to the people. What was taken by using iron will only return by using iron." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN MARKET (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) GAZA RESIDENT SALAH ABU AJRAM, SAYING: "The United Nations backs the Jews and will never back the Arabs in any case. (Reporter question: what do expect?) I expect that they will refuse or if they will accept a state, America will use the veto." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN GAZA STREET
  • Embargoed: 10th October 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Jerusalem, Gaza, West bank
  • City:
  • Country: Palestinian Territories
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA9DOBUG6W2VL53DTXV1N7NI2FK
  • Story Text: Spirits in Palestinian streets were mostly high on Saturday (September 24), a day after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas presented their U.N. bid for statehood.
    "I hope that we will have a state and we will be state number 194. President Abu Mazen had a proper speech yesterday and I hope that he convinced the international world that Palestine exists," Hebronite Mustafa Imam, said.
    Hebron resident Mufid Sharabti said the Palestinian president should continue the process of establishing a Palestinian state. "Yesterday was the first candle for the Palestinian state lit in the United Nations. Everyone saw the support for President Abu Mazen and saw the happiness of the Palestinian people".
    Thousands of Palestinians turned out at West Bank city centres on Friday (September 23), to watch the Abbas address. They welcomed the step as a change of approach 20 years after the start of peace talks that have failed to deliver their independence.
    The mood among the Palestinian leadership in the Gaza Strip, ruled by Islamists, contrasted starkly with the West Bank celebrations.
    Ismail Haniyeh, leader of the Hamas movement that governs the enclave and refuses to recognise Israel, said Palestinians should not beg for a state. Liberation of Palestinian land should come first, he said.
    Several Gaza residents interviewed by Reuters on Saturday were also not happy with the UN move.
    "What was taken by using iron will only return by using iron," said Gaza resident Anwar Haniyeh. Another Gaza resident, Salah Abu Ajram, had said that the United States will veto the request for membership for the state of Palestine.
    "United Nations backs the Jewish and will never back the Arabs in all case...I expect that they will refuse or if they will accept a state; America use the veto," said Abu Ajram.
    On Friday, after the Abbas address and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech, the "Quartet" of Middle East mediators proposed in a statement that Israel and the Palestinians should meet within one month to agree an agenda for new peace talks with a goal of a deal by the end of 2012.
    Palestinian political analyst Hani al-Masri told Reuters that the Quartet was trying to fight for its relevance.
    "If the Quartet calls were able to be implemented then they would have been agreed upon before the speech. There were exceptional efforts during the past weeks; months and days to reach a formula to continue the negotiations but these efforts broke on the rock of the Israel's hardline and radicalism," al-Masri said. "Surly the Quartet is trying to enter history by hiding the fact its life has ended, as it was one of the sides that led negotiations to a dead end," Al-Masri added.
    Israelis reacted coolly to Abbas's U.N. quest for statehood, and some said his impassioned speech at the United Nations had only harmed the chances of peace.
    "You either win a war and create a state, or you negotiate. A piece of paper just will not help them (Palestinians), so its a joke," Jerusalem Resident Helga Abraham said.
    Another Jerusalem resident Haim Ben-Ami said that Palestinians has a leader referring to President Mahmoud Abbas.
    "It seemed this speech was directed towards the Palestinian people, and the Arab nations. And its good that the address was that way, because it gives me personally a much greater sense of security that he (Abbas) has strengthened his position. There will not be a mess in the Palestinians state at this point, there is a leader," Ben Ami said.
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