Lebanese President meets Iranian and Palestinian Presidents

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• published: 30 Jul 2015
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1. Various of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Lebanese President Michel Suleiman 2. Various of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Lebanese President Michel Suleiman STORYLINE: The Palestinians relentlessly knocked on diplomatic doors at the United Nations on Tuesday, trying to sell their case for international recognition, as Israel''s prime minister issued dire warnings against hasty action as he boarded his jet for New York. The issue of the unilateral Palestinian declaration of statehood, born of decades of frustration and failed negotiations with Israel, has consumed diplomats who are gathering for Wednesday''s opening of the annual U.N. General Assembly ministerial meeting. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has rejected all attempts to steer him away from formally submitting an application for full U.N. membership. He plans to submit the application on Friday when he speaks to assembled world leaders. Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, whose country holds the Security Council presidency this month, met Abbas on Tuesday in New York. An Abbas aide said Suleiman urged the Palestinian leader to proceed with the application for U.N. membership. Suleiman also met Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday. For his part, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would warn world leaders against prematurely establishing a Palestinian state when many issues in the conflict must still be resolved. He did not elaborate, saying this would be the focus of his speech to the U.N. on Friday, scheduled shortly after Abbas''. While the U.S. which has said it will vote no, the other 14 members of the U.N. Security Council have not publicly declared their positions. China, Russia, India, Lebanon, South Africa and Brazil were all expected to vote yes. Germany was expected to vote no with the United States or abstain. Still unknown were the positions of France, Britain, Bosnia, Colombia, Gabon, Nigeria, Portugal with many saying they needed to see the text of a draft resolution before making a decision. U.S. officials are working at a furious pace as they attempt to lure the Palestinians back to negotiations and to avoid the need to cast a veto - a measure certain to inflame anti-American sentiment in the Arab world. U.S. and other diplomats say the European Union, supported by the U.S., is now trying to work out wording of an agreement that could avert the U.N. showdown over Palestine. There was no sign, however, that either Israel or the Palestinians will agree. Officials say Israel is being asked to accept its pre-1967 War borders with land swaps as the basis for a two-state solution. The Palestinians would essentially have to recognise Israel''s Jewish character. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/8eb365fce042f2b0b923fe79867e5728 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork