By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, October 24 -- When the UN Security Council scheduled Palestine's application for membership to be presented back to the full Council from the Committee on Admission of New Members on November 11, it was left unclear and undecided if an up or down vote on membership would be held that day.
Since Mahmoud Abbas launched the membership bid on September 23 and Palestinian Observer Riyad Mansour told the Press the Council process should end during the Nigerian presidency -- that is, in October -- it's been assumed that Palestine and its supporters are the ones wanting a vote on November 11.
But multiple sources tell Inner City Press that the push for a vote on November 11 comes from opponents of Palestine's membership. The analysis is that on the current Council there are not the required nine positive votes for Palestinian membership.
The Obama Administration, in any event, has said it would veto Palestinian UN membership -- but without nine positive votes it could escape the isolation it faced in vetoing the anti-settlements resolution previously.
The elections for new seats on the Security Council for 2012-13 reflect increased support in January for Palestinian membership, with Pakistan and Morocco among others joining the Council. So by the logic of those opposed to Palestinian member, the time to call for the vote is now.
France, several Council sources say, is pushing for a November 11 vote.
But couldn't Palestine just re-submit an application for membership for consideration on January 1 or shortly thereafter?
