Stephen Harper is telling Palestinians to go back to the negotiating table with Israel if they want a sovereign state, rather than seeking recognition at the United Nations. CAMPBELL CLARK– Globe and Mail
The Palestinian Authority’s campaign for a United Nations vote that would recognize their statehood – even if it has no effect on the ground in the West Bank and Gaza – is dominating discussions as world leaders descend on New York for the opening of the UN General Assembly. Mr. Harper has made it clear that Canada will oppose the Palestinian bid, but he warned forcefully Tuesday that it could damage Mideast peace prospects, and appeared to put the onus on the Palestinian Authority to restart peace talks . “I think there’s no likelihood of this initiative by the Palestinian Authority doing anything to further the peace process. I think it’s possible that it could be counter-productive,” Mr. Harper told reporters at UN headquarters in New York after a high-level conference on Libya. “But I would say if the Palestinian Authority is serious about establishing a sovereign state, the method to do that is not a declaration here at the United Nations. It’s to get back to the negotiating table and negotiate peace with Israel.” Israel and the Palestinian Authority have blamed each other for stalled peace talks, with the Palestinians insisting they will no go back to the table as long as Israel continues to build on settlements. A bid by U.S. President Barack Obama to kick-start a new round of peace talks based on Israel’s pre-war 1967 borders was rebuffed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu early this year. The United States has said it will veto full recognition by the UN Security Council. But a majority of countries, more than 120 of the body’s 193 members, are expected to vote for recognition of a lesser status for a Palestinian state as a non-member nation. Canada has worked behind-the-scenes diplomatic channels to try to persuade some countries to oppose recognition, or abstain on the UN vote. The Palestinian representative in Ottawa, Linda Sobeh Ali, said Monday she has been disappointed by reports that Canada is lobbying 30 countries in what has been called a “like-minded” group, although she said details of Ottawa’s diplomatic efforts have remained unclear. She argued that Canada will find itself in a minority in the world, and along with the United States lose credibility in the region. But she suggested Palestinian lobbying efforts have largely given up on Canada.
