Israel urges UN chief and assembly president to reject Palestinian attempt to raise flag at UN
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}FILE - In this Sept. 18, 2007 file photo, the flags of member states fly outside United Nations headquarters. Israel on Tuesday Sept. 1, 2015 urged U.N. leaders to reject a Palestinian effort to raise their flag at headquarters as a non-member observer state as early as next month’s gathering of world leaders at the U.N. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File) (The Associated Press)
Israel is urging the United Nations secretary-general and General Assembly president to reject a Palestinian attempt to raise their flag at U.N. headquarters.
Israel's U.N. Ambassador Ron Prosor accused the Palestinians in letters to the U.N. officials on Tuesday of "attempting to swiftly change longstanding U.N. tradition in order to score political points."
The flags of all 193 U.N. member states fly outside U.N. headquarters in New York and other U.N. offices — but not the flags of the two non-member observer states, Palestine and the Holy See.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Palestinians are seeking General Assembly approval of a resolution that would allow non-member observer states to raise their flags ahead of Pope Francis' visit to the U.N. on Sept. 25, immediately before a summit of leaders at U.N. headquarters.