The Palestinian Authority on Tuesday called for the UN General Assembly to recognize a Palestinian state and give it United Nations membership. The Palestinian envoy to the UN, Riyad Mansour, said the PA intended to submit a demand to the 193-nation assembly to recognize a Palestinian state, citing the support of 120 UN members. The assembly is to open its annual session in mid-September. "The moment is now for the march of the Palestinian state, "Mansour told reporters following his address to the UN Security Council during a session on the Middle East peace process. "Why should the Palestinian people be forced to languish yet another year - or even one more day - under foreign occupation?" Mansour said in his speech. Germany's Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office, Werner Hoyer, who attended the council meeting, said that the Middle East has entered a "crucial moment" with people across the region demanding "freedom, democracy and a better life." He said the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, against the volatile regional context, should reach a settlement as an urgent matter. "Let me be very clear on this: Germany supports the establishment of a Palestinian state," Hoyer said. "As a matter of course, such a state will become a member of the UN. Progress in this direction is a matter of urgency." Arab and Muslim government envoys supported Palestinian statehood during the council debate.
