US protests 'State of Palestine' placard in UN

US Ambassador Susan Rice objected Wednesday to the Palestinians' latest bid to capitalize on their upgraded U.N. status when their foreign minister spoke at the Security Council while seated behind a nameplate that read ``State of Palestine.''

It was the first Palestinian address to the Security Council since the U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on Nov. 29 to upgrade the Palestinians from U.N. observer to non-voting member state.

Rice said that the United States does not recognize the General Assembly vote in November "as bestowing Palestinian `statehood' or recognition.''

"Only direct negotiations to settle final status issues will lead to this outcome,'' Rice said.

"Therefore, in our view, any reference to the `State of Palestine' in the United Nations, including the use of the term `State of Palestine' on the placard in the Security Council or the use of the term `State of Palestine' in the invitation to this meeting or other arrangements for participation in this meeting, do not reflect acquiescence that `Palestine' is a state,'' she added.

The U.N. General Assembly vote to upgrade the Palestinians' status was important because it gave sweeping international backing to their demands for sovereignty over lands Israel occupied in 1967, including east Jerusalem. But it did not actually grant independence to the 4.3 million Palestinians who live in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.

In his speech to the Security Council, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki reiterated the Palestinian position that a two-state solution be based on the pre-1967 borders.

He also said that if Israel proceeds with plans to build settlements on a contentious tract of land east of Jerusalem, the Palestinians will file a case in the International Criminal Court.

Israel's envisaged construction of 3,500 apartments in the area known as E-1 would hinder Palestinian access to east Jerusalem from the West Bank. The Palestinians claim east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

... contd.

ALSO READ

Texting while driving?

Violence grips Bangladesh as Islamists demand stricter blasphemy law

David Cameron warned: 'Shed elitist image'

Prince William may give up his role as search and rescue pilot after becoming father