After
Gaza Deal,
Israel Talks
Iran, Rice
Opposes
Observer
State Status
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
November 21 --
For a week on
Gaza, the
Security
Council met
behind
closed doors.
Finally on
Wednesday
after the
ceasefire was
announced in
Cairo, the
Council agreed
on a Press
Statement.
After
President
Hardeep Singh
Puri read it
out, Inner
City Press
asked him
about the
delay, and
what role if
any he thought
the Council
had in
the reaching
of the
ceasefire. He
said it was
not yet time
for
assessments,
but at least
"we got an
outcome."
But
what
outcome? Inner
City Press
asked Israel's
Deputy
Permanent
Representative
Waxman is the
deal means
ships to Gaza
will no longer
be
intercepted,
but only
inspected. He
answered that
the week
showed
the volume of
weapons Iran
is getting
into Gaza.
When
Moroccan
Ambassador
Loulichki, who
represented
the Arab Group
throughout the
week, came out
Inner City
Press asked
him what
impact
he thought the
week would
have on the
November 29
voting on
Palestine's
resolution to
upgrade to
Observer State
status at the
UN.
Loulichki
said
that it should
be kept
separate, that
the position
of regional
groups remains
the same.
Earlier in the
day Hardeep
Singh Puri,
this
time
representing
the IBSA
grouping of
India, Brazil
and South
Africa, read
out a
statement on
Gaza that
included
support for
the
Palestine move
for Observer
State status.
When
US Ambassador
Susan Rice
came out, and
after she gave
a
well-prepared
answer to a
question on
her TV
appearances on
the attack on
Benghazi,
Inner City
Press asked
her about
Palestine's
application:
Inner
City
Press: I'm
going to ask
you a Gaza
question
although I
definitely
respect the
right of
people to ask
a follow up to
that
[Benghazi]. I
just wanted to
ask you one-on
Palestine, the
controversy
here at the UN
about
Palestine
seeking
observer state
status. You
heard
Ambassador
Loulichki say
there's no
relation
between the
fighting in
Gaza and the
vote, and
Israel
obviously said
states should
think again.
The U.S.
opposes the
vote, but what
effect
do you think
this week of
fighting-do
you agree that
this shows
that
the
Palestinian
Authority has
no control
over Gaza?
Should it make
fewer states
vote in favor
of Palestine
becoming a
state observer
at
the UN?
Ambassador
Rice:
Well, I'll let
other states
comment on how
they see the
Palestinian
bid for
observer state
status in the
General
Assembly.
From the
United States'
point of view,
we've been
very clear.
Our goal
remains a
negotiated,
two-state
solution. A
Jewish
democratic
state of
Israel living
side by side
in peace and
security with
an
independent,
viable
Palestinian
state. The
only way to
accomplish
that in the
real world is
through direct
negotiations,
and we
continue to
urge the
parties to
come back to
the table and
to resume
those direct
negotiations.
We view
unilateral
steps,
including the
bid for
upgraded
status to
statehood-observer
state status
at the
General
Assembly-to be
counterproductive
and not take
us closer to
that goal,
and,
therefore, we
strongly
oppose it.
We'll
be
here on
November 29,
and until and
after then.
Watch this
site.
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