The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) said Thursday a decision to seek from the UN recognition of an independent state enjoys consensus by the Palestinian leadership, refuting earlier Israeli reports on the issue, Xinhua reported.
"There are no differences over the Palestinian leadership's decision at all," said Ahmed Majdalani, a member of the PLO's Executive Committee, responding to Israeli media reports saying the Palestinian leaders were divided on the drive to gain recognition from the UN General Assembly when it convenes in September.
Majdalani said the consensus was a result of the belief that such recognition "would support the Palestinian efforts to face the measures of boosting the Israeli occupation."
The Palestinians decided to move to the UN after U.S.-brokered peace talks broke down last year. The Palestinians walked out from the negotiations in protest of Israel's decision to resume construction in West Bank Jewish settlements.
According to the Israeli reports, President Mahmoud Abbas is determined to go to the UN, while many other senior officials oppose the move to maintain the relation with the U.S. administration and the Congress. For Israel and Washington, the UN recognition of a Palestinian state must result from an agreed solution between Israel and the Palestinians.
Saeb Erekat, also a PLO official, said that the United States has officially informed him that it will oppose the Palestinian drive to the UN. Erekat, who ended a three-day visit to the United States, told the Ramallah-based Al-Ayyam daily that the Obama administration wants the two sides to resume the peace talks.
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