The UN has accepted the Palestinians application to adhere to 13 conventions and international agencies. In retaliation, Israel "freezes" the transfer of the proceeds from taxes due to the PNA . But Abbas says he is ready to continue negotiations and the U.S. State Department announces that "officials" from the two sides have already met .

New York City (AsiaNews / Agencies) - There are many shadows and some glimmers of light in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. On the one hand the Palestinian Authority has been granted adherence to some UN agencies and threatens to move forward on the road to its recognition as a state while Israel has "frozen" the transfer of the proceeds of taxes due to the PNA. On the other, the Palestinian president says he is willing to continue negotiations and the U.S. State Department has announced that "officials" from the two sides have already met.

Yesterday, the UN secretary-general accepted the Palestinians application to adhere to 13 conventions and international agencies. The UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric, said that the applications were "in due form " and that the United Nations will take steps  to inform the 193 UN member states of its decision.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas made the decision to apply for membership - a step in the quest for full recognition of the "State of Palestine" - at the beginning of April.

Abbas's announcement violated the agreement made last July, according to which during the nine months of peace talks sponsored by the United States - which had to be terminated at the end of April - the Palestinians would refrain from seeking membership of International organizations and pursuing legal action against Israel, while the Jewish state would release a group of Palestinian prisoners sentenced to lengthy prison terms. But Israel stopped the release of the last group of 26 prisoners, provoking Palestine's "reaction".

Furthermore, on Tuesday, the Palestinian ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour, added that Palestine will officially become a State party to 13 of the 15 conventions on May 2 and was ready to make further applications for membership of agencies, conventions and treaties depending on Israeli actions.

Now in response to the move by Abbas, Israel has imposed sanctions against the Palestinian Authority, freezing the delivery of the sums collected for the taxes owed to the Palestinians and announcing restrictions on access to bank accounts in Israel.

Israel collects taxes on behalf of the Palestinians, to which it transfers about $ 100 million (80 million euro) per month, equal to two-thirds of its budget .

The chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat condemned the move as a "diversion" and "theft of the Palestinian people's money".

But while all of this brings leads people to assume the peace talks are close to collapse, in an interview with Asharq Al- Awsat President Abbas has signaled that he is willing to extend peace talks, provided that they are based on the creation of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. For its part, the U.S. State Department spokesman Jen Psaki announced yesterday that there was a new round of talks between Israeli, Palestinian and U.S. negotiators. Psaki added that the distances are shrinking, but downplayed the idea that an agreement is in sight.

 

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