Palestinian request for membership of UN

Palestinian request for membership in the world body

The Palestinian request for membership in the world body that’s The United Nations Security Council is to meet to start the process of formally considering

Lebanese ambassador Nawaf Salam, who holds this month's rotating Security Council presidency, made a brief appearance before reporters on Monday, issuing a statement in English and Arabic.

He said the council had met and decided to take up a decision on referring the issue for further consideration in two days. That will consist of forming a committee to study the Palestinian submission.

The United States has said it would use its Security Council veto to block Palestinian membership should the measure receive the necessary nine of 15 votes. That would keep the membership bid from moving forward to the 193-member General Assembly for the needed two-thirds vote. A vote in the Security Council was not expected for weeks at least.

US officials, speaking anonymously to describe confidential diplomacy, said they were telling fellow council members that there was no rush to act on the bid submitted on Friday by Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, over US and Israeli objections.

The US is also seeking co-operation from other members in persuading the Palestinians not to push for a quick vote. The US hopes that going slow may allow Israeli-Palestinian peace talks to resume without a confrontation at the world body.

Earlier, secretary of state Hillary Clinton met Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Makati at the UN to make the US argument. Lebanon, the only Arab member of the 15-member Security Council, is expected to support the Palestinian bid.

Senior US officials said Mrs Clinton had made separate, similar calls to the foreign ministers of Colombia and China, both of which hold council seats.

The Palestinian envoy to the UN, Riyad Mansour, said he was grateful to secretary general Ban Ki-moon for quickly forwarding the request to the Security Council. "We hope it will lead to fast action in positively recognising that Palestine be admitted," Mr Mansour said.