Palestinians to seek UN West Bank resolution

By Tobias Buck 
October 19 2010 
The Financial Times
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5b74251c-db96-11df-a1df-00144feabdc0.html


The Palestinian leadership is preparing to call for a UN resolution that would formally declare Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem illegal.
The move, which may come next month, would mark a fresh attempt to drive a wedge between Israel and the international community. Palestinians said the UN initiative could form part of their response to a possible collapse of peace talks with Israel.
By moving – or threatening to move – the battle over settlements to the Security Council, the Palestinians hope to increase diplomatic pressure on Israel.
The US administration would also be in a deeply uncomfortable position. Washington has recently sharpened its criticism of Israeli settlement activity, urging the government to renew a freeze on construction that expired in September. At the same time the US has a long history of vetoing Security Council resolutions that criticise Israel, and would face pressure to do so again.
One option frequently discussed is the pursuit of a UN resolution recognising an independent Palestinian state in the borders of 1967. However, officials argue that a less sweeping resolution that only deals with settlements stands a greater chance of passing.
“If you send a resolution to the Council that calls for a [Palestinian] state then the US might veto it, arguing that such a state should be the result of bilateral negotiations with Israel. If you have a resolution on settlements, will the Americans veto that?” one Palestinian official asked.