Erekat: I did not say PA will ask UN to recognize state
Chief negotiator denies comments attributed to him earlier according to which Palestinians will submit request as soon as Bosnia take over Security Council presidency. 'Israeli government is witnessing an international isolation that it hasn't witnessed before,' he says
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat denied saying that the Palestinians will ask the United Nations Security Council to unilaterally recognize an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders early next month.
The Maan news agency quoted Erekat as saying Wednesday that the Palestinians were waiting for Bosnia to take the presidency of the Security Council before submitting the proposal.
In a conversation with Ynet, Erekat denied making the remarks. "They are false. We plan to turn to the Security Council regarding the settlements, not the declaration of a Palestinian state," he said.
According to Maan, Erekat also told reporters in the West Bank town of Jericho that "the Israeli government is witnessing an international isolation that it hasn't witnessed before. And this is due to the efforts exerted by the Palestinian leadership and by President Mahmoud Abbas."
According to the report, Erekat expressed hope that the US would not veto the proposal, and also called for South Korea, Japan, New Zealand and Australia to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state.
Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador and Bolivia have all recognized a Palestinian stare over the past few weeks.
The Palestinians have recently announced their plan to introduce a draft resolution at the UN Security Council condemning Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
On Friday the London-based Arabic daily Al Hayat quoted Erekat as saying "the negotiations (with Israel) are over. Now is the time for decisions, not negotiations."
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