Abbas tells US he will push for upgrade at UN

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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told US President Barack Obama on Sunday that he was intent on seeking a Palestinian upgrade at the United Nations despite US objections, a Palestinian official said.

Abbas spoke to Obama in a phone conversation to explain his decision, said Nabil Abu Rdaineh, an aide to the Palestinian president.

On Nov 7, the Western-backed Palestinian Authority circulated a draft resolution to UN member states that calls for upgrading its UN status to that of observer state, despite objections by the United States and Israel.

"President Abbas cited the reasons and motives for the Palestinian decision to seek non-member statehood as continued Israeli settlement activity and the continued attacks on Palestinians and their property," Abu Rdaineh said.

"Obama informed President Abbas of US opposition to the bid," he added.

The Palestinians are currently considered an observer "entity" at the UN. Upgrading them to a non-member state would implicitly recognize Palestinian statehood.

It could also grant them access to bodies such as the International Criminal Court in The Hague, where they could file complaints against Israel.

The status upgrade seems certain to win approval in any vote in the General Assembly with states that are historically sympathetic to the Palestinians.

Palestinian diplomats are also courting European countries to further polish their case.

Israel and the US say Palestinian statehood must be achieved by negotiation and have called on Abbas to return to peace talks that collapsed in 2010 over Israeli settlement construction in the occupied West Bank. The Palestinians seek to establish a state in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip - which is controlled by the Islamist Hamas group who are bitter rivals of the Palestinian Authority - and want East Jerusalem as its capital.

Abbas has billed the move as a last-ditch attempt to advance long-stalled talks to achieve statehood by first having the world recognize Palestine as a state under Israeli occupation and its borders.

The aid-dependent Palestinian economy in the West Bank faces financial crisis due to Israeli restrictions on trade and a drop in aid from Western backers and wealthy Gulf states.

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About the broadcaster:

CJ Henderson is a foreign expert for China Daily's online culture department. CJ is a graduate of the University of Sydney where she completed a Bachelors degree in Media and Communications, Government and International Relations, and American Studies. CJ has four years of experience working across media platforms, including work for 21st Century Newspapers in Beijing, and a variety of media in Australia and the US.