The General Assembly on Friday postponed a scheduled vote on a resolution that would elevate the status of the Palestine Liberation Organization here to that of an observer state.
The vote is now scheduled to take place on Monday.
According to Western diplomatic sources here, the PLO is split on whether to press ahead with a vote on the resolution, which is strongly opposed by the United States and Israel.
The U.S. government last week threatened to cut off funds to the U.N. headquarters budget if the General Assembly adopts any resolution that, in effect, recognizes a Palestinian state. The move would cripple the United Nations, a fourth of whose budget comes from U.S. funds.
The Israeli mission here is lobbying heavily against the resolution, which was introduced during the assembly’s annual debate on “The Question of Palestine.” Representatives of more than 100 member nations were contacted by Israeli officials last Thursday and Friday, in an effort to mobilize opposition to the proposal.
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