The Palestine Liberation Organization failed to gain the support of the Arab countries for its proposal that the General Assembly will reserve a seat in the Assembly hall for “Palestine.”
Israeli diplomats and observers here said that during the 37th session of the General Assembly, which was concluded this week, the PLO was unsuccessful in its bid after it can into strong opposition to the proposal from moderate Arab states. Jordan, it was disclosed, was the major force lobbying against the PLO initiative.
In the view of diplomats here, the PLO failure demonstrates the organization’s decline following its military and political defeat in Lebanon this summer. The PLO finally decided to drop its initiative after it was convinced that a vote in the Assembly on the issue would only further humiliate the PLO.
Israeli diplomats claimed that had the PLO been successful in its drive to gain a seat for “Palestine” in the Assembly, it would have represented a major propaganda victory. But, they noted, such a move would not have threatened Israel’s status at the Assembly.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
