Canada set to vote against UN recognition of Palestinian statehood

[marmar]

[font size="1"]Palestinians hold pictures of Prime Minister Stephen Harper superimposed with a face of a dog during a protest in Ramallah, Wednesday.[/font]


A bid for UN recognition of a state of Palestine is a last-ditch attempt to rescue troubled Mideast peace efforts, a Palestinian spokeswoman said Wednesday, rejecting Israel’s charge that it is an attempt to bypass negotiations.

Hanan Ashrawi, a senior Palestinian official, urged the U.S. to drop its opposition to the bid, dismissing Washington’s stance as “pathetic” and harmful to American interests in the region. The Palestinians have come under intense pressure from the U.S., Britain and others to modify the bid but “have not succumbed,” she said.

On Thursday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas plans to ask the UN General Assembly to recognize Palestine in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, areas Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war. Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, but still controls most access.

The Palestinians expect some two-thirds of the General Assembly’s 193 members will accept Palestine as a non-member observer state. The U.S., Israel, Canada and a few others are opposed. ................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1294290--canada-set-to-vote-against-un-recognition-of-palestinian-statehood