Egypt, Saudis secretly draft Palestinian statehood motion for Security Council

debkafile‘s Middle East sources report that Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the Gulf emirates and the Palestinian Authority are secretly drafting a UN Security Council motion granting Palestinian statehood within the pre-1967 war borders of the West Bank and Gaza Strip with Jerusalem its capital. This group is working under tight wraps, using diversionary tactics, to keep the US and Israel from discovering their scheme. Libya, or if it is elected to the Security Council, Lebanon will table the motion.
Saudi King Abdullah, President Hosni Mubarak and Mahmoud Abbas have decided that if the US vetoes their resolution, Abbas will resign down finally as chairman of the Palestinian Authority and his place will not be taken by any member of his administration. Abbas keeps on saying his decision to resign is irrevocable with this development in mind and the dilemma it will pose Washington and Jerusalem: According to the Palestinian constitution, the Speaker of the Palestinian legislature, Dr. Abdel Aziz Duaik, of Hamas, fills the absent chair.
However, according to our sources, the three Arab leaders are banking on the US being constrained from voting against the motion by president Barack Obama’s avowed support for Palestinian statehood – albeit omitting to predetermine its borders. The Americans may simply abstain, leaving 10-12 Security Council members out of 15 to carry the resolution. Abdullah, Mubarak and Abbas are counting on their resolution
carrying the same huge impact as the Nov. 27, 1947 UN vote approving the establishment of two states in partitioned Palestine. They believe it will put an end once and for all to discussions on the future borders of a Palestinian state; any Israeli presence across the 1967 boundaries, civilian or military, will be illegal and in clear breach of an explicit Security Council resolution.
This move has sent Abbas on extensive travels in recent months with frequent side-trips to Riyadh and Cairo. It was also discussed during Mubarak’s visits to the Gulf this week.
The Palestinian leader, our sources report, has secured endorsement pledges from Russia, China, France and Britain, as well as the African, South American and Asian representatives on the Security Council.
According to debkafile‘s Jerusalem sources, the Netanyahu government shows no signs of anticipating this hostile diplomatic gambit and the foreign ministry does not appear it is ready to pre-empt it or fight back.

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