BICOM

Senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said yesterday that a controversial Palestinian-led UN Security Council resolution would be submitted today with several amendments to the original version tabled earlier this month.

The original resolution calls for a 12-month deadline on peace negotiations and an Israeli withdrawal from occupied territory by 2017. The text submitted on 18 December outlines an accord based on the pre-1967 borders and security arrangements, with “Jerusalem as the shared capital of the two States which fulfils the legitimate aspirations of both parties and protects freedom of worship.” It adds that both parties should “abstain from any unilateral and illegal actions, including settlement activities.”

It is not clear that the Palestinians have the nine votes necessary to pass the resolution. In any event, the United States has said that it would veto a resolution which attempted to impose a one-sided solution without recognising Israel’s security concerns.

However, Erekat yesterday said that Jordan would submit an amended version of the motion on behalf of the Palestinians today and claimed that a vote would take place tomorrow or Wednesday. Erekat pledged that the Palestinians will work “until the last minute” to garner support for the motion. Erekat threatened that should the US wields its veto, then the Palestinians will join international organisations and treaties. Such action would be considered a serious escalation in diplomatic activity threatening Israel.

Erekat said that eight amendments had been made to the original resolution, but would only reveal that one defined East Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state and another specified a timetable for the release of Palestinian prisoners. The Jerusalem Post quotes a senior Palestinian official who said that the latest draft is no different from the original. However, Maariv says that the amended version is “more extreme” especially regarding Jerusalem and settlements.

A parallel French draft proposed a resolution which would set a timetable and terms of reference for resolving the conflict through negotiations.