Obama warns 'no short-cut' to Palestine membership bid
They also accused Obama of being inconsistent in praising the Arab Spring pro-democracy movements sweeping the Middle East, while calling on the Palestinians to return to the negotiations.
"There is a wide gap between the praise for the Arab peoples' fight for freedom and the abstract call for negotiations without any clear basis between us and the Israelis," said Yasser Abed Rabbo, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
"We are waiting to hear that the freedom of the Palestinian people is the principle key to the Arab Spring and to freedom, which must include the Palestinian people."
Obama warned in his speech to the UN General Assembly that there was "no short cut" to Middle East peace, amid frantic diplomatic efforts to head off a Palestinian drive for the United Nations to recognize Palestine as a full member state.
"The end of the Israeli occupation and a Palestinian state are the only path to peace," Nabil Abu Rudeina, spokesman for Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, told AFP shortly after Obama's speech.
"We will agree to return to the negotiations the minute that Israel agrees to end the settlements and the lines of 1967," he added.
Straight after his speech, Obama met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He was to meet with Abbas later in the day.
EU for definitive deadline for securing Palestine-Israel peace
European Union negotiators have proposed a timeline for securing a Palestinian-Israeli accord in talks with the two sides, diplomatic sources said Wednesday.
The timeline - starting with renewing negotiations within a month and ending with a full accord in the next year - was also raised Wednesday by France's President Nicolas Sarkozy.
EU foreign affairs representative Catherine Ashton has been proposing the timeline during talks this week with Palestinian, Israeli and US officials, diplomatic sources said.
US-brokered Israeli-Palestinian talks have been frozen for the past year, since Israel ended a moratorium on settlement building in the occupied territories. The frustrated Palestinian leadership has said it will now apply for full UN membership on Friday.
Sarkozy told the UN General Assembly there should be an accord that sets out "one month to resume discussions, six months to find an agreement on borders and security; and one year to reach a definitive agreement."
International leaders are seeking to head off a diplomatic showdown over the Palestinian application with the United States threatening to veto any bid for full membership.
International community supports membership bid
Lebanese President Michel Sleiman on Wednesday threw his country's backing behind the Palestinian drive for full UN membership as a state.
"It is important to underscore the rightful Palestinian efforts aiming at earning the recognition of the state of Palestine and its full membership to the United Nations," Sleiman told the UN General Assembly.
"Lebanon will back these efforts in order for the latter to succeed with the coordination and cooperation of brotherly and friendly countries," Sleiman added.
Lebanon, Israel's northern neighbour, is a non-permanent member and currently holds the presidency of the UN Security Council.
President Dilma Rousseff of Brazil, which is also a current non-permanent member of the Security Council, earlier called for a state of Palestine to be fully represented at the United Nations.
The Lebanese and Brazilian stands challenge US efforts to prevent the Palestinians from obtaining the nine of the 15 UN Security Council votes needed to approve their request, to be made Friday, to become a full member UN state.
Diplomats said such a majority is not guaranteed. No vote is yet planned in the Security Council which will first have to examine any application.
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This clearly displays the double standards of United States of America.All the claims vowed by President Obama in his election campaign stands hollow.Praising the Arab Spring for democratic rights in Middle East whereas depriving Palestine of its rights clearly demarcates the contradictions on Obama's Middle East Policy.
Such contradictory policies have begot criticism for America in past, and future would be no different as well.But unfortunately, she is ,now, immune to such criticisms.
The United Nations as an institutionhas once again failed to fulfil its mandate for representing the aspirations of all nations across the world. Most of the decisions of the Un are plqued by prejudice, inconsistencies, favouritism, racism and religious bias. The unlawful occupation of Palestine by Israel is allowed by the United Nations only because it is Muslim territory. Failure to grant Palestine membership of the Un will prove that there exists double standards especially against the pro muslim countries. The American and Israel jewish culture is characterised by widespread corruption, thuggery,random killings and racism. I still call for the outdated Un to be disbanded and a new organisation formed. The new organisation must treat all nations equal and fair. This will end many wars and hardships caused by the double standards of the American controlled United nations.
"No Short Cut" means wait till remaining Palestinian land will be consumed by Jewish Settlers and then all Palestinians will be offered Israeli Citizenship
Blind support of Israel will lead America to no where. Reassurance of security of state which is most powerful in MD, armed with nukes means what?? & remarks came against Bid for Palestinian statehood of UN what a crap?? it means that if America does not want to see Palestin as a state in UN General Assembly How America can see a state for Palestinian on face of earth??? Palestinian want more than promises and before complete occupation of their land by jewish settlers
The US will never help the Palestinians because they are muslims.Why I say this is that they organised referendum in Sudan in a very short span and got autonomy for Chritian Nilotes of Southern Sudan, but they can not show the same sincerity for the muslim palestine.
Every nation including Palestinians have a right to live free without occupation and in dignity. The rights of Palestinians are second to none and no nation should be allowed to usurp those fundamental rights. The duplicity of US foreign policy in this matter be condemned by all secular and freedom loving people of the world. There is a limit of injustices that are associated by the Israeli occupation, enough is enough. Let us all come out in support of a free, democratic, and progressive Palestine.
@Aadersh: Indian troll forgot to change his name before posting. BTW, India was one of the staunch supporters of Palestinian movement in the past until they sold out to Israelis.
@ Thomas Any comments on news?
@Ali Tanoli: Too bad!
We Muslims need to unite & fight against these evil nations...
Palestinians are not yet ready for a sovereign state. They will start killing each other, as they did when they were given some freedom to run local affairs in Gaza and West Bank.
Well, it was expected from Obama/Americans, they were not so shy when they divided Sudan and East-Timor.......shame shame shame America and its double standards.
Jews run america and palestine is holy land for all three reliegen so its not that easy to solve this reliegous problem and all libral west get reliegous when time comes for solving palestine.
US and her lies.... they cheat and steal and self proclaim ....super power... land of opportunity to lie, cheat, rob, kill n so on.,
What double standards.. it was the exact same way Israel was created..!! at that time Israel was the size of Gaza strip and everything else was Palestine...Now its the exact opposite.. Yes to Palestinian State..