
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas probably will succeed in gaining United Nations status for the PA as a non-member observer, but the PA will be no closer to statehood, Israel’s Ambassador to United Nations Ron Prosor said Sunday.
Abbas said on Saturday the PA will try again for recognition at the United Nations, one year after its failure to win a needed two-thirds majority in the United Nations after the Security Council forced it stop its bid for full membership. The PA is currently a U.N. observer "entity" with no voting rights.
"There is an attempt (by the Palestinians) to make unilateral moves in order to internationalize the conflict," Prosor told Voice of Israel government-funded radio. "But beyond what are perhaps the feelings of frustration, it is important to remember that the path to peace really is through the negotiating table with Israel."
The Palestinian Authority won a diplomatic victory several months ago by gaining admission to UNESCO, and non-member observer status would allow it to join a number of U.N. agencies and the International Criminal Court, Reuters reported.
Prosor said the Palestinians have a "guaranteed majority" in the 193-member General Assembly -- enough to bestow non-member observer status, which the envoy predicted would be used "to hurt us (Israel)" in various international forums.
"In essence, Abu Mazen (Abbas) today has zero control in Gaza," Prosor said in separate remarks to Army Radio, adding that the Palestinians' U.N. campaign "will change nothing on the ground.”
Leading international economists recently have said that the Palestinian Authority does not have the economic backbone to support itself as an independent country. It is totally dependent on foreign donations, and the deteriorating economies in the European Union could cause a drop in the amount of funding for Ramallah.