By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, September 21 -- Long time Palestinian advocacy Hanan Ashrawi was at the UN on Wednesday, and Inner City Press asked her about votes in the Security Council for Palestine's UN membership.
Minutes earlier, Nabil Shaath spoke of how he was with the PLO at the UN in 1974, and said that since nine Security Council members have recognized Palestine, he assumes they would vote in favor of Palestinian UN membership. His list included Russia, China, India, Lebanon, South Africa, Brazil, Gabon, Nigeria -- and Bosnia.
Ashrawi, asked about the figure of nine supporters, said "we're working at it." She complained that the US is "pressuring, cajoling, even blackmailing" countries to vote against Palestine. She said that "Third World countries... the weak" don't like to feel they are being browbeaten. She said the US should have put this energy into promoting peace.
Informed Balkan sources have for weeks told Inner City Press that the Republica Srbska portion of the Bosnian government does not want to vote in favor of Palestine, and that on this matter that would lead to an abstention. Inner City Press asked Ashrawi about Bosnia, Republica Srbska and a possible non affirmative vote.
On camera , Ashrawi said "we hope the Bosnians take the right decision and I think the Serb member of the tri sy should und this is in fav just it is an imperative and a responsibility." Click here for YouTube video, from Minute 1:06.
Will Republica Srbska "understand" that? Or who will reach out and (counter) "cajole" them? Watch this site.
