Condemn Palestinian Recognition at U.N.

House members sent a letter to President Obama that urges him to send a strong message of disapproval to the Palestinian leadership for its decision to seek an upgrade of its status at the United Nations.

The letter, which received 240 signatories and was sent to the president on Dec. 21, 2012, notes that the Palestinian move “violated both the letter and spirit of the Oslo Accords, and it opened the door for expanded Palestinian efforts to attack, isolate, delegitimize Israel in a variety of international forums.”

The letter was spearheaded by Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Howard Berman (D-CA), Edward Royce (R-CA) and Eliot Engel (D-NY).

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Key Points

U.N. recognition won't lead to peace.
Peace will only occur through direct talks. By refusing to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and securing recognition of a state at the United Nations, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas had undermined peace efforts and violated previous peace commitments.
The United States has rejected the Palestinian approach.
President Obama has said that “no vote at the United Nations will ever create an independent Palestinian state” and called the Palestinian efforts at the U.N. a “mistake.”
The Palestinians must face consequences.
The United States should continue to press the Palestinians to refrain from such harmful actions and outline repercussions if they move ahead, such as closing the PLO office in Washington.