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Before Asking U.N. For Statehood, Palestinian Delegation Enjoys Italian Food In Soho
By
Jen Chung
Published Sep 18, 2011
Modified Sep 18, 2011
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By
Jen Chung
Published Sep 18, 2011
Modified Sep 18, 2011
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A week before it formally asks the United Nations for statehood, the Palestinian delegation is getting ready with some carbo-loading. According to the Post, they "had a late-night feast of expensive wine and heaping platters of pasta at Cipriani Downtown... The officials entered the swank eatery on West Broadway in TriBeCa at about 11:30 p.m. Friday and were seated at the large table in the back."
The Post's sources say the 15 men were "all in an upbeat and jovial mood" and "watched as a bunch of gorgeous women in skin-tight dresses repeatedly passed by their table on the way to the bathroom." The restaurant kept its kitchen open for the large group and one member reportedly said, "We are all praying that President Obama will help us."
Well, Obama has asked Palestine not to go ahead with asking for statehood, because talks have gone nowhere. Senior U.S. and Europeans officials are supposedly meeting in New York today to discuss the potentially volatile issue today. The Star-Ledger has a Q&A with David Makovsky, the Ziegler distinguished fellow and director of the Project on the Middle East Peace Process at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, who tries to explain what's going on. For instance, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas believes "talks with [Israeli president] Benjamin Netanyahu will be futile is disputed by Netanyahu, who believes Abbas has only tried negotiations for two weeks in 2½ years, and who doesn’t accept the idea that building in settlements in certain spots is a sign of lack of interest in a deal. Because there are areas that Israel would annex in any grand deal anyway."
Tagged
benjamin netanyahu
cipriani downtown
israel
mahmoud abbas
palestine
pasta
president obama
statehood
united nations
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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