Palestine Urges Arabs to Block Israel from Gaining UNSC Seat

Following the latest row over the status of Jerusalem, the Palestinian leadership is now going on the offensive against Israel as officials are reportedly lobbying Arab leaders to block Israel’s bid for a seat at the U.N. Security Council, the Palestinian state agency Wafa reported Wednesday.

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A Palestinian body within the Arab League, called the Palestine Committee, has presented a draft proposal to the 22-member organization calling on Arab nations to vote against Israel gaining the seat at the United Nations top body in 2019.

According to Wafa, the Palestinian committee is set to submit the draft proposal to a general meeting of the Arab Parliament, which includes permanent representatives from the 22 state members, scheduled for Thursday.  

The news comes just days after the U.N. General Assembly adopted a resolution against the U.S. move to recognize Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel earlier this month, when 129 countries voted in favor of the Egypt-sponsored resolution, in a major rebuke of U.S. President Donald Trump.

The committee further discussed the rapidly increasing Israeli settlement activity as well as the recent clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israel police, which are carrying out significant crackdown and abuse against the protesters.

Wafa said the committee called on the the Arab Parliament to “follow up on Israeli violations against the Palestinian people with the U.N. Secretary General and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.”

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Also as a response to Trump’s controversial recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said his government would seek full membership at the U.N. next year and would work to join more than 500 international organizations and conventions to strengthen the recognition of the Palestinian state.

Palestinians and most of the international community agree that East Jerusalem is an occupied territory, which would eventually be the capital of a future sovereign Palestinian state after a final peace agreement between the the two sides.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Prisoner's Society said Tuesday that the number of Palestinians arrested by Israeli forces since Trump’s decision on Dec. 6 stood at 610, including 170 children and 12 women.

Also at least 12 people have been killed during protests by Israeli security forces since the announcement, according to the Palestinian health ministry.