Thursday July 14, 2011 16:46 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

The Arab League decided Thursday that it would be filing, on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, for a full Palestinian membership at the United Nations, and the Security Council, and to demand member countries to recognize an independent Palestinian State.

In a press conference, Nabil Al-Arabi, Secretary-General of the Arab League, stated that, at the end of its meeting, the League decided to head to the United Nations to demand recognition of an independent Palestinian State, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and to ask the UN to grant full membership to the Palestinian Authority.

The Arab League held a meeting in Doha - Qatar, with the participation of Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, to discuss the plan to head to the UN this September to ask for international recognition of an independent Palestinian State, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Abbas’ advisor, Dr. Majdi Al Khalidy, told the Palestine Radio that the financial crisis of the P.A. currently tops Abbas’ talks with Arab leaders, and with Nabil Al Arabi.

Abbas recently held several meetings with different Arab leaders in Saudi Arabi, Kuwait, Qatar and several other Arab countries to formulate a plan for the September declaration.

Abbas will also be meeting the Emir of Qatar today, Thursday, for further talks.
Furthermore, Al Khalidy stated that Abbas would also be touring soon in Europe to hold talks on the issue with European Leaders.

The Palestinian leadership is hoping that the Arab League (composed of fifteen Arab countries), will be helping the Palestinians in obtaining the needed international support before heading to the UN in September.

The Leadership had repeatedly stated that its stances and decisions are directly connected with the Arab stance and support, in order to ensure a united front that could garner the needed outcome.

Israel, on the other hand, is also holding extensive campaigns, and lobbying different leaders, especially the United States administration, and the congress, to ensure the United States uses its Veto power to foil the Palestinian move.

The United States has repeated its opposition to what it called “the unilateral Palestinian move to ask the UN to recognize a Palestinian State.

Last week, State Department Spokeswoman, Victoria Nuland, stated that the US wants the Israelis and Palestinians to return to the negotiations tables, and described the Palestinian idea to head to the UN as “bad idea” and as a move that “is not helpful”.

America’s northern neighbor, Canada, also voiced the same stances made by the U.S.

Chris Day, spokesperson for the Minister of Foreign Affairs, John Baird, said that the stances of his government have never changed, and that “the only way to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is through negotiations and agreements.