OBAMA TELLS ABBAS THAT AMERICA OPPOSES NON-MEMBER UN BID

Palestine, 28 Dzul Hijah 1433 / 13 Nopember 2012 (MINA/MEMO) – During a telephone call on Sunday, US president Barack Obama told Mahmoud Abbas not to apply for non-member status for Palestine at the UN.

Palestinian President Abbas’s spokesman, Nabeel Abu-Rodaineh, said: “Abbas congratulated Obama on his re-election for a second term in office, while Obama told him that he objects to going to the UN for non-member status for Palestine.”

Abu-Rodaineh added that Abbas explained the reasons behind the Palestinian decision to apply to the UN, telling Obama that it was because of Israeli settlement activities and the Israelis’ continuous aggression against Palestinians and their properties.

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However, Obama insisted that “any such unilateral steps in the UN would hinder peace efforts” between the Palestinians and Israelis.

Israel and the United States are both opposed to the Palestinian plan, insisting that a Palestinian state can only result from peace negotiations, which have been suspended for the past two years. (J-001).