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The largest bloc of developing countries at the United Nations has chosen the observer state of Palestine as the next leader, said Tuesday the Palestinian ambassador, a decision that could provoke new tensions with Israel and the United States. United States. Riyadh H. Mansour said in a phone interview that Palestine would take over the leadership of the bloc, known as the Group of 77, Egypt, starting in January.
Originally 77 countries formed in 1964, the membership of the block almost doubled in size. The bloc often speaks as a voice in the General Assembly and represents more than 80% of the world's population.
"We will negotiate on behalf of 135 countries," said Mansour, a total that would include his own delegation. At least symbolically, the choice of Palestine as leader of the Group of 77 is a diplomatic retort for Israel and the United States in the protracted Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and a political step forward for the Palestinians.
The United States, Israel's most important ally, argued that the status of Palestinians at the United Nations does not mean that there is an independent state of Palestine and that only direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians can lead to such a result. ] The two countries opposed the rise of the Palestinian mission in 2012 by the General Assembly of an entity to an observer state, the same status given to the Vatican. They also opposed the decision to give the Palestinians the right to beat their national flag at the UN headquarters in 2015.
An observer state can not vote on General Assembly resolutions but benefits from Other privileges. The International Criminal Court and Unesco
Palestinians have argued that since the Israeli-Palestinian peace process has been stalled for many years, they have no choice but to to continue their quest for a state.
They still deny that we are a state, "said Mansour." We are walking like a state. We swagger like a state. Therefore, we are a state. "
Palestinians also became increasingly alienated from the United States under the Trump administration, which enraged them in December by recognizing the disputed holy city of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. of East Jerusalem their future capital and declared that the United States can no longer be considered an impartial arbiter in their conflict with Israel.
Since then, the administration has sharply reduced US funding to the Palestinian population from Gaza, occupied by the Israelis, the West Bank and elsewhere in the Middle East, including the United Nations agency that was created to help displaced Palestinians after the creation of Israel in 1948.
Nikki R. Haley, United States ambassador to the United Nations, reprimanded as anti-Israeli prejudice on the Palestinian question
Haley also criticized other Middle East countries for What she described as their inability to help Palestinians and advance peace with Israel – a point she reiterated earlier Tuesday at a Security Council meeting. She said:
The US mission did not immediately respond to requests for comments on the development of the Group of 77. In an e-mailed statement, the Ambassador of the United States Israel, Danny Danon, was very critical
"The goal of the Group of 77 was originally to facilitate the economic progress of the underdeveloped nations," he said. "It is unfortunate that this is now becoming a platform for spreading lies and incentives that will not promote the G-77 goals and encourage Palestinians not to engage in peace negotiations."
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