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William Hague says UK set to abstain in Palestinian UN vote William Hague says UK may abstain in Palestinian UN vote
(35 minutes later)
Foreign Secretary William Hague says the UK is set to abstain in a key vote on whether the Palestinians should get upgraded diplomatic status at the UN. Foreign Secretary William Hague has suggested the UK is likely to abstain in a key vote on upgraded diplomatic status at the UN for Palestinians.
The UN General Assembly will decide whether to recognise the Palestinians as a "non-member observer state". The General Assembly will decide whether to recognise the Palestinians as a "non-member observer state".
Mr Hague said the UK would not vote against but needed assurances that the Palestinians would seek negotiations with Israel "without pre-conditions" in order to be able to back the move. Mr Hague said the UK would not vote against, but needed assurances that the Palestinians would seek negotiations with Israel "without pre-conditions".
Without these, the UK would abstain. Without this assurance, Mr Hague said, the UK would abstain.
An upgrade from their current "permanent observer" status would allow the Palestinians to participate in UN debates and improve their chances of joining UN agencies and the International Criminal Court (ICC), although the process is neither automatic nor guaranteed. The vote is seen as a symbolic milestone in Palestinian ambitions for statehood.
In a statement to MPs, Mr Hague set out the conditions he said were needed for the UK to back the move to upgrade the Palestinians from their current "permanent observer" status.
'Public assurances'
The first was an "indispensable" assurance had to be given by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that the Palestinians were committed to return to negotiations with Israel without any conditions.
He said the Palestinians must also agree not to seek membership of International Criminal Court (ICC), as any move to extend the jurisdiction of the court over the occupied territories could derail any chance of talks resuming.
"Up until the time of the vote itself, we will remain open to voting in favour of the resolution, if we see public assurances by the Palestinians on these points," he said.
"However, in the absence of these assurances, the UK would abstain on the vote. This would be consistent with our strong support for the principle of Palestinian statehood, but our strong concern that the resolution could set the peace process back."
Mr Hague said he had made it clear to Mr Abbas that he believed pushing the issue to a vote was premature as the focus should be on a return to negotiations but the UK must make its position clear in the run-up to the decision.
Upgrading the Palestinians' UN status would allow them to participate in debates there and improve their chances of joining UN agencies, although the process was neither automatic nor guaranteed.
'Two-state solution''Two-state solution'
Observers say the application is likely win approval in the 193-member UN General Assembly when it is put to a vote, because it needs only a simple majority to pass.Observers say the application is likely win approval in the 193-member UN General Assembly when it is put to a vote, because it needs only a simple majority to pass.
France, Spain and Norway are among those to be urging the UN General Assembly to recognise the Palestinians as a "non-member observer state".
According to the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), more than 130 countries now grant the Palestinians the rank of a sovereign state.According to the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), more than 130 countries now grant the Palestinians the rank of a sovereign state.
Speaking last week, David Cameron said the UK had urged the Palestinians against putting the issue to the vote "in the short term" as they believed it would be counter-productive to the chances of kick-starting the peace process.
A lasting peace would not be brokered by the UN, he added, but only by the two sides sitting down and talking.
Labour have long backed the move, arguing it is an opportunity to "support the cause" of a two-state solution and would boost the position of moderate Palestinians intent on political progress.Labour have long backed the move, arguing it is an opportunity to "support the cause" of a two-state solution and would boost the position of moderate Palestinians intent on political progress.
The US and Israel oppose the move, regarded as a symbolic milestone in Palestinian ambitions for statehood. France, Spain and Norway are among those to be urging the UN General Assembly to recognise the Palestinians as a "non-member observer state".
The US and Israel oppose the move, citing concerns that the Palestinians are trying to seek full statehood via the UN, rather than through negotiation as set out in the 1993 Oslo peace accords under which the Palestinian Authority was established.