Palestinians defy U.S., will seek U.N. recognition

JERUSALEM – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas formally announced Friday that he will ask the U.N. Security Council to endorse his statehood bid, putting the United States in line for a showdown with the Palestinians and their supporters across the Arab world.

So far, efforts by the Obama administration and European diplomats to dissuade Abbas from presenting his U.N. bid have failed.

The White House opposes the move and has said it would exercise the veto it wields at the Security Council, but Abbas left himself some room to maneuver.

“It is our legitimate right to demand the full membership of the state of Palestine in the U.N.,” said Abbas, who is scheduled to address the U.N. General Assembly next Friday, after which he’s expected to submit the official request for U.N. membership to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

He then added that he would not rule out other, “unspecified” options.