U.S. President Barack Obama's support of the Palestinian's demand for country borders may help in the recognition of a Palestinian state, said Egypt's Ambassador to the United Nations, Maged Abdel Fattah. In statements to the press, Abdel Fatah linked Obama's mention of the 1967 borders – which demarked the state prior to the Six Day War – to the Palestinian petition to gain two-thirds of the votes in the U.N. General assembly in order to gain recognition of Palestine as a nation state this coming September. Abdel Fattah said he believes Palestine will gain more than the required two-thirds. In order to be recognized as a modern nation state, Pasetine must also gain the approval of the Security Council. With the United States – Israel's closest ally – holding veto power, this will be impossible, said Abdel Fattah. He added that he is not sure if the Palestinians will go ahead with their petition this coming September because Palestinian leaders are still discussing their next plan of action. He also said the General Assembly's decision is purely symbolic and does not have as powerful an effect as that of the Security Council. Abdel Fattah welcomed Obama's mention of the pre-1967 borders but said Obama should have mentioned other important issues pertaining to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Obama did not mention the Palestinian right of return or the division of Jerusalem in his speech on Thursday.
