AlHijjah 7, 1432, Nov 3, 2011, SPA -- The Palestinians are urging the U.N. Security Council to take action against Israel for accelerating settlement construction and "illegally hijacking" Palestinian tax revenue to protest their membership in UNESCO, AP reported. Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian U.N. observer, warned that if Israel's actions aren't stopped immediately, the volatile region's tense situation might deteriorate. He told reporters Thursday the Palestinians also want the Security Council to vote on their application for U.N. membership, even though the U.S. has promised a veto if there isn't a minimum of nine "yes" votes. Mansour noted that Israel's first application for U.N. membership wasn't successful but its second was, "so if Palestine has to do it this way, that's our destiny." -- SPA
