United Nations
United NationsIsrael news photo

A report Thursday said that the Palestinian Authority was considering its next steps in applying for membership in UN organizations under the name “Palestine.” Last April, PA chief Mahmoud Abbas started the process of applying to 15 different UN organizations, and according to the PA news service Ma'an, the PA is considering applying for membership in more UN groups.

The PA has set up a committee to consider which groups to apply to, to be headed by PA Foreign Minister Riyadh al-Maliki.

Israel slammed the PA's decision in April to seek membership as a country in the UN groups. The move was a violation of the Oslo Accords, Israeli officials said. "The PA has breached its obligations [in peace talks] by applying to the UN," Justice Minister Tzipi Livni stated. "If they want a state they need to understand that it will only be established on the negotiating table [with Israel]." The PA claimed that the move was in response to Israel's cancellation of a group of the release of 26 terrorists in April, a position that US Secretary of State John Kerry concurred with.

The report did not specify which groups the PA was considering applying to. This past week, “Palestine” was admitted to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.