With 87 co-sponsors, the US Senate today passed a resolution condemning the Palestinian Authority for seeking recognition from the United Nations as an independent state, warning that it “demonstrates absence of a good faith commitment.”
The resolution warns that the UN recognition of a Palestinian state harms the peace process and also demands that the Palestinians “reconsider” their unity government agreement. They warned failure to comply would have a serious impact on US aid.
Palestinian officials rejected the threats, saying that the Senate demands won’t change their policies, and that the Palestinian Authority “can’t sacrifice their freedom in return for financial aid.”
The US is expected to veto the Palestinian attempt at statehood, but Israeli officials are expressing concerns about the prospect of non-violent protests among Palestinian civilians. The Israeli military says it would be unable to quell such a move.
