Alwaght- Palestinian groups slammed US objection to the nomination of a former Palestinian official as the UN envoy.
The Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) condemned the objection “a case of blatant discrimination on the basis of national identity.”
Former Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad was nominated as the UN permanent envoy to Libya after the current envoy ended his mission, but US opposition made the body remove him from the mission.
After learning of a plan by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to appoint Fayyad to lead the UN political mission in Libya, US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said on Friday that the US was “disappointed,” claiming the move showed bias against US ally Israeli regime.
Palestine is a non-member observer state at the UN and its independence has been recognized by 137 of the 193 UN member nations.
The United Nations Security Council released a statement on their website on Saturday defending the proposal to appoint Fayyad, saying it was “solely based on Mr. Fayyad’s recognized personal qualities and his competence for that position.”
Saturday morning, PLO Executive Committee Member Hanan Ashrawi denounced the US attempt to block Fayyad’s appointment, calling it “unconscionable” and “a case of blatant discrimination on the basis of national identity.”
“It defies logic that the appointment of the most qualified candidate is blocked because it is perceived as detrimental to Israel. It constitutes a blanket license for the exclusion of Palestinians everywhere," Ashrawi said in the written statement.
She went on to express hope that “saner voices will prevail and that the US will take back this irrational and discriminatory decision immediately and not deprive the UN of such a highly qualified individual. Rather, they should block petty acts of bigotry and vindictiveness and the further victimization of the Palestinian people for the mere fact of their existence.”
Fayyad served as the Palestinian Authority's prime minister from 2007-2013. According to UN officials cited by Reuters news agency, Fayyad has the support of 14 Security Council members.
