Middle East Quartet's last-minute deal

Chris McGreal

The compromise would see Mahmoud Abbas submit a letter to the Security Council, which would then defer the vote until after further talks.

International efforts to forestall a showdown in the U.N. Security Council over the declaration of a Palestinian state are solidifying around a plan for the Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, to submit a request for recognition but for a vote on the issue to be put on hold while a new round of peace talks is launched.

The deal is being pushed by the Middle East “Quartet” of the U.N., EU, U.S. and Russia, which is attempting to persuade Mr. Abbas to back away from a diplomatic confrontation with Washington, which says it will veto the Palestinian bid.

U.S. President Barack Obama was expected to meet the Palestinian leader at the U.N. on Wednesday as Mr. Abbas comes under intense pressure from the U.S. and Europe to compromise.

Diplomats said the proposed compromise would see Mr. Abbas submit his letter to the Security Council, which would then defer action. In parallel, the Quartet would issue the framework for renewed negotiations that would include a timeline for the birth of a Palestinian state.

The deal is intended to permit Mr. Abbas to follow through on his commitment to Palestinians to seek recognition for an independent state at the Security Council, a pledge he could not abandon entirely without considerable damage to his already battered leadership.

If the proposals under discussion come to fruition, Mr. Abbas could claim a victory for the Palestinians by saying he has achieved his principal goal in going to the U.N. of breaking the deadlock that has seen no serious movement towards a Palestinian state in years.

However, diplomats warned that a number of issues remain unresolved, including a Palestinian demand that the statement include a requirement that Israel halt construction of Jewish settlements in the occupied territories.

Israel's position is unclear. Its Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was arriving in New York on Wednesday and has appealed for immediate talks with Mr. Abbas but without preconditions.

Diplomats said negotiations were likely to come down to the wire as Mr. Abbas plans to submit the request on Friday.

“The Palestinians are open to a way out of this,” said a diplomat with knowledge of the negotiations. “But they can't abandon the Security Council vote without something to show. The question is how to turn this to their advantage. If the result is that there is a serious push to make peace talks work, then that's a win for the Palestinians. I think everyone involved in this — the Americans, the Europeans — would like to see that happen.” Husam Zomlot, a Palestinian spokesman, said Mr. Abbas remains committed to submitting the Palestinian request to the Security Council but he noted that the intention behind the move was to break the deadlock in the peace process, which may now be happening.

“There is absolutely no contradiction whatsoever between our quest for United Nations full membership and any possible negotiations. In fact, we see them as very very complementary. We are seeking this to provide any future bilateral process with sufficient multilateral cover where we don't waste another 20 years,” he said.

The proposals under discussion would have the Quartet statement say, at the Palestinians' behest, that the goal is a Palestinian state based on the borders at the time of the 1967 war that led to the occupation of East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. It will also meet an Israeli demand by saying that talks will result in two countries with Israel as a Jewish state.

A Palestinian official acknowledged the plan was a focus of discussion with the Quartet although he cautioned that the leadership is concerned to ensure there is real momentum and that Israel is not permitted to drag out negotiations.

The Palestinians are also under pressure because it is far from certain they will win the necessary nine votes in the Security Council to win recognition. The U.S. has been using its influence to get some Security Council members to abstain in the hope the Palestinians will lose the vote and that the U.S. veto will not be required.

Nonetheless, Mr. Abbas can claim a diplomatic success in forcing the most serious effort to kickstart peace negotiations in years. The U.S. insistence that it will veto the Palestinian bid for membership in the Security Council has strengthened the hand of European governments, which have generally be sidelined by Washington in the Middle East peace process.

Britain and France in particular, as permanent members of the council, have attempted to use their votes as a bargaining chip in dealings with Mr. Abbas by suggesting they could support a move to give the Palestinians greater recognition in the U.N. General Assembly if a vote is not forced in the Security Council.

However, diplomats cautioned that the plan is far from complete and that obstacles remain. — © Guardian Newspapers Limited, 2011