Ma'an News Agency.net (Palestine) : "Ashrawi meets with European representatives to discuss UN bid"

Ashrawi meets with European representatives to discuss UN bid

Published today (updated) 11/09/2011 19:54

Hanan Ashrawi attends a session in the Palestinian Legislative Council in the
West Bank town of Ramallah August 23, 2005. [Maannews/Mushir Abdelrahman]

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Palestinian lawmaker Hanan Ashrawi held separate meetings on Sunday with European representatives to discuss progress concerning the UN membership bid in late September.

Ashrawi met with British consul-general Sir Vincent Fean, French consul-general Frederic Desagneaux, European Union representative Christian Berger and Austrian head of mission Leonhard Moll.

"September is a historical test for the international community. We have reached a turning point, both in terms of possibilities for peace on the ground, and in light of the democratic changes transforming the region as a whole," Ashrawi said.

"Many in the Arab world and elsewhere will access developments at the UN later this month as an indication of how genuine the international community's support for freedom, democracy, human dignity and self-determination is."

Ashrawi criticized the position of the US and its likely veto at the security council, saying that the United States will "undermine its own standing in the Arab world" while damaging its "credibility and national interests."

The decision to veto a security council resolution in support of Palestine's UN membership is also in direct contradiction to self-declared US values, Ashrawi said.

"If Israel is worried about the legal implications of Palestine's membership to the UN, then it should cease its daily violations of international law and end its occupation, rather than expect Palestinians to abandon their rights in order to protect Israel from the consequences of its own excesses and illegal actions," Ashrawi concluded.

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