Johnny Isakson United States Senator

Isakson Asks African Leaders to Oppose Recognition of a Palestinian State at Upcoming U.N. General Assembly Meeting

Sep 19, 2011

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Chris Coons, D-Del., have sent joint letters to 23 African leaders asking them to consider oppose recognition of a Palestinian state at the upcoming meeting of the United Nations General Assembly.

Coons serves as the Chairman and Isakson serves as the Ranking Member on the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations’ Subcommittee on Africa.

In the letter, the senators expressed their concerns over efforts by Palestinian leadership to seek unilateral recognition of statehood during the upcoming meeting of the United Nations General Assembly. They also stated that in their view, “any effort to bypass negotiations and engage in a political exercise at the U.N. would run counter to the cause of peace. Unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state at the U.N. is not in the best interest of the Palestinian people or conducive to the ultimate objective of two democratic states living side-by-side in security and peace.”

Instead, they urged that “a resolution between the long-standing conflict can be achieved through direct, bilateral negotiations between the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority.”

Earlier this year, the U.S. government indicated it would oppose such a measure in the General Assembly and veto such a resolution in the Security Council. Congress has also supported this position and passed a resolution in June that reaffirmed the commitment of the United States to a negotiated settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through direct negotiations; reaffirmed opposition to the inclusion of Hamas in a unity government unless it is willing to accept peace with Israel and renounce violence; and declared that Palestinian efforts to gain recognition of a state outside direct negotiations demonstrated absence of a good faith commitment to peace negotiations.

Senators Isakson and Coons will participate in a press conference in the Capitol on Tuesday at 2:30 pm. to further discuss their efforts.