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Security Council to meet Monday on Palestinian bid

UNITED NATIONS — The UN Security Council will meet Monday afternoon to discuss a request by the Palestinians to admit the state of Palestine as a full UN member, the council’s current president said Friday.

Lebanon’s ambassador to the United Nations, Nawaf Salam, told reporters he had handed over the Palestinian application to the 14 other members of the Security Council after receiving it from UN chief Ban Ki-moon.

“I have circulated the letter and I have called a meeting of the members of the UN Security Council for consultations on this subject on Monday at 3:00pm (1900 GMT),” Salam said.

The issue is now likely to take weeks of negotiations with the United States already having threatened to impose its veto if it goes to a vote.

To pass the Palestinians would need to harness the support of nine out of the 15 members of the UN Security Council.

Six council members have already thrown their weight behind the Palestinians: China, Brazil, India, Lebanon, Russia and South Africa.

Other members have not revealed their decision, including Bosnia, Britain, France, Germany, Gabon, Nigeria and Portugal.

Colombia has said it will abstain.