By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, February 28 -- Palestine has invited the UN Security Council for a visit, as its Observer Riyad Mansour told Inner City Press on Monday, but they also have a "Plan B" if the United States says no. That plan, Inner City Press is told, is to send separate invitations to each Council member, all at the same time.
On camera on Tuesday, Inner City Press asked Mansour if there is any reason to believe that the US won't say no to such a trip, as its Ambassador Susan Rice did after vetoing a Council resolution on settlements. While Mansour said there is no reason to prejudge and there will be a meeting later Tuesday about Council trips, already politically attuned sources are picturing a "photo op with Rice at Arafat's grave," during this election season. Somehow it seems unlikely.
Israel's Permanent Representative Ron Prosor quipped that before the Council goes, "Abbas should go to Gaza," saying he hasn't been there since 2007. He had circulated a letter to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the Togolese President of the Security Council, ten rockets, ten days, no statement.
Inner City Press asked Prosor how this complaint jibes with his evidence pride in having advocated and obtained the recent Council statement on attacks against Israeli diplomats in New Delhi and Tbilisi (but not Bangkok). Prosor expressed satisfaction with the statement, but noted it was about attacks on diplomats overseas, while rockets were strictly Gaza to Israel.
Prosor also advocated against a Council trip by saying there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Inner City Press asked him about the power plant in Gaza; he replied it is Egypt that doesn't let fuel in. And so it goes at the UN. Watch this site.
