The Security Council opened a debate on Palestinian rights this afternoon amidst an 11th-hour effort by the United States to postpone a vote on a Nigerian-sponsored draft resolution supporting the “self-determination, national independence and sovereignty” of the Palestinian people.
The United States, which declared it will veto such a resolution, sought to postpone the vote to avert a showdown with the Arabs, notably Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. If the U.S. should fail in its effort, the vote–and a U.S. veto–will take place tomorrow.
Outgoing Ambassador Andrew Young, who is this month’s president of the Security Council, held private meetings with all Council members this morning in the hope that an agreement could be reached to postpone the vote. He told reporters, however, that he did not think the prospects for postponement were very good.
Meanwhile, sources here said the British joined the American effort to postpone the vote. The sources said that British diplomats also engaged in last-minute efforts to amend the present draft resolution in the hope of averting a U.S. veto.
Israel was expected to participate in the debate and Ambassador Yehuda Blum was to address the Council this evening. Israel’s decision to participate differed from its original position last month, when the debate on Palestinian rights opened, when Israel said it would have “nothing to do.” with this debate.
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