Palestinian statehood

With the United States putting increasing pressure on the Palestinians and Israeli-Arab relations deteriorating to their lowest point in years, it seems a political storm is gathering both in the Middle East and the United Nations as the day for the Palestinians to lodge their bid for full UN membership draws near.

Palestine is due to present its bid to the UN General Assembly and the UN Security Council next week. With the Arab League at its back, it estimates that more than 100 nations will support the bid.

Nonetheless, given that Washington has in the past weeks mustered all its diplomatic apparatus to try to persuade the Palestinians not to proceed with their bid and said it will veto it in the UN Security Council if they do, the prospect of the UN accepting Palestine as its 194th member state doesn't look promising.