SIRTE, Libya — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday sought Arab backing for possible fallback options in case troubled peace talks with Israel collapse, including urging the United States to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state.
The Arab League, meeting in Libya over the weekend, gave the Americans another month — just past midterm elections in the U.S. — to try to break the deadlock over Israeli settlement expansion.
Abbas has said he would not resume negotiations unless Israel extends a 10-month-old slowdown on settlement construction that ended in late September. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected an extension but is considering compromises.
The Palestinian leader’s options in the event that talks break down appear limited. Discussions about alternatives, including at the Arab League summit, appear to be largely aimed at pressuring Israel and spurring the U.S. into action.
On Saturday, Abbas told Arab leaders that he does not expect Israel to budge on the settlement issue and that in the meantime, opposition to continuing the talks is building among the Palestinians.
Abbas adviser Saeb Erekat said Abbas asked the Arab League on Saturday to help persuade the Obama administration to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state. If the Americans reject such a request, the Palestinians might take up the issue with the U.N. Security Council, nonetheless, Erekat said.
Arab League undersecretary general Ahmed bin Helli said Arab leaders did not immediately respond to Abbas’ request, preferring instead to give the U.S. more time to try to rescue the negotiations.
Another option would be for Abbas to resign and dissolve his Palestinian Authority, a self-rule government established in the 1990s as a result of interim peace deals with Israel.
