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Palestinians to give UNSC bid another shot

The Arab League has backed Palestinian calls for another attempt at the UN Security Council, with the Palestinians confident they can secure the needed votes after the changeover of seats.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (L) stands with Arab League Secretary-General Nabil al-Araby (R) following the Arab League Foreign Ministers emergency meeting held at the League's headquarters in Cairo January 15, 2015. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR4LJ7K

The Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo Jan. 15 approved a Palestinian request to return to the UN Security Council to seek an end to the Israeli occupation. The ministers did not set a date for the next UN campaign, leaving the decision to a committee made up of Jordan, Kuwait, Mauritania, Egypt, Morocco and Palestine. Addressing the foreign ministers, President Mahmoud Abbas asked Arabs to financially support the Palestinian government in light of Israel’s decision to withhold tax revenue. Abbas said that the Palestinians had notified the United States of their intention to join the International Criminal Court (ICC). “Had America told Israel to stop settlements, we wouldn’t have gone,” he added.

The Palestinian leadership’s desire to return to New York has repeatedly been made clear by Abbas since the previous bid failed. At a Jan. 4 cultural conference in Ramallah, Abbas said, "We didn't fail, the UN Security Council failed us. We'll go again to the Security Council, why not?”

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