Abbas Woos ‘Latin America’s Israel’ in Palestinian State Bid
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Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas met with his Colombian counterpart today, hoping to take advantage of Latin America’s growing independence from the U.S. to win a Security Council vote in his bid for United Nations membership.
It won’t be easy. Colombia, a rotating member of the Security Council, rebuffed a Palestinian diplomatic push last year that won it recognition as an independent state from Brazil and eight other South American nations. Colombia is the biggest recipient of U.S. military aid outside the Middle East and the visit comes as Congress this week is scheduled to vote on a free-trade agreement that will strengthen ties even further.