All the suspense in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is focused on New York these days, where the 66th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations is underway. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is widely expected to turn to the UN Security Council on Friday as a first step in the process of applying on behalf of Palestine for recognition and membership in the UN.
At the same time, however, the Palestinians are under immense pressure, spearheaded by American diplomacy, to restart the peace talks and to drop the unilateral bid for statehood. Amid a flurry of diplomatic activity and media speculation, some sort of a last-minute compromise is a distinct possibility; in either case, any dramatic change would not follow immediately, if it follows at all, but would likely take months to unfold.
Two extraordinarily large delegations of Israeli and Palestinian officials are present in New York; the Palestinians, headed by Abbas, arrived from Jordan on Sunday, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined on Tuesday a sizeable group of ministers already waiting for him there.
This is significant, as it indicates a considerable capacity for making decisions on the ground, and thus for conducting last-minute negotiations on important topics. At the same time, it can also be a preparation for the intense diplomatic stand-off that is expected to ensue after the Palestinians apply for recognition at the UN.
