Palestinian bid for UN recognition to be put up for vote before year's end

The Palestinian bid for UN membership will be put for vote during the current session of the United Nations General Assembly, a senior Palestinian official revealed Friday. "We are looking forward to presenting the bid before the end of the year," Palestinian Liberation Organization's Executive Committee member Hanan Al-Ashrawi said in a press conference here. "Some of our friends have advised us to wait till the end of US presidential elections, but there is a semi-international consensus to present it on November 29, which coincides with the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People." She confirmed that at least 150 countries will vote for the bid to consider the State of Palestinian a non-member state in the UN organizations. Ashrawi also shed lights on the strenuous US and Israeli efforts to persuade many countries to vote against the bid. She pointed out that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is embarking on "intensive consultations" with various regional organizations and UN member states to guarantee the adoption of bid.