This is the kind of leader that the President of the United States should be. “Palestinian UN statehood gambit “˜counter-productive,” Harper says,” by Campbell Clark for the Globe and Mail, September 20 (thanks to Wimpy):
Stephen Harper is telling Palestinians to go back to the negotiating table with Israel if they want a sovereign state, rather than seeking recognition at the United Nations.
The Palestinian Authority”s campaign for a United Nations vote that would recognize their statehood — even if it has no effect on the ground in the West Bank and Gaza — is dominating discussions as world leaders descend on New York for the opening of the UN General Assembly.
Mr. Harper has made it clear that Canada will oppose the Palestinian bid, but he warned forcefully Tuesday that it could damage Mideast peace prospects, and appeared to put the onus on the Palestinian Authority to restart peace talks .
“I think there’s no likelihood of this initiative by the Palestinian Authority doing anything to further the peace process. I think it’s possible that it could be counter-productive,” Mr. Harper told reporters at UN headquarters in New York after a high-level conference on Libya.
“But I would say if the Palestinian Authority is serious about establishing a sovereign state, the method to do that is not a declaration here at the United Nations. It’s to get back to the negotiating table and negotiate peace with Israel.”…