n US has to show its sincerity PALESTINIANS are coming under political fire from the US as they have announced their intentions of taking the issue of Israeli settlements on occupied land to the UN Security Council. US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, is right in maintaining that the issue should be resolved through direct talks between Palestinians and Israelis and not by third parties in New York. But given the fruitlessness of the various incarnations of peace talks, most notably the recent collapse of talks sponsored by the Obama administration, the Palestinians are certainly justified in looking for a new approach to a very old problem. This week, Lebanon submitted a proposed anti-settlement resolution to the 15-member Security Council on behalf of the Palestinians, with another 122 countries as co-sponsors. The US is one of the five permanent members of the Council with veto powers, but it is difficult to see how the US can vote against the resolution as it generally reflects the US positions. The draft resolution says that Israeli settlements on occupied land are illegal and pose a major obstacle to peace. It demands that Israel halt construction immediately and urged Israelis and Palestinians to continue negotiations on a final peace deal. The Palestinians can profit greatly with US backing, but they must also forge their own path to statehood. The international community is increasingly rallying behind Palestinian efforts to reach statehood, and more and more countries have been voicing their support. In the end, taking this issue to the Security Council will be only one element of a full-court press that the Palestinians are preparing to make their case of statehood soon. Another element will be the building of state institutions from the ground up so that a de facto statehood will develop before full-fledged recognition. It is still a long way to a Palestinian state, but it is up to the Palestinians themselves to take the first step. __
