This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Sept. 20, 2011 - WASHINGTON - As a congressional representative to the United Nations' new session this week, U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan wants to spread the word that most lawmakers oppose Palestinians' unilateral efforts to pursue U.N. ratification of statehood.
Saying that the Palestinian debate is likely to be "the biggest issue by far" in the new U.N. session, Carnahan told the Beacon that "I don't think we can emphasize strongly enough that unilateral action is really contrary to achieving a two-state solution." He called on Palestinian leaders to return to peace negotiations with Israel.
Speaking by phone from New York, where he was attending meetings related to the U.N. gathering, Carnahan said he had signed a letter along with 58 other House Democrats to 40 European heads of state, urging them to stand with the United States in opposing unilateral action by the Palestinian Authority at the U.N.
The letter, sent late last week, warned that such action by the Palestinians could have "devastating consequences for the peace process," might lead to violent protests, and could result in a reassessment of U.S. assistance to the Palestinian Authority. Such aid, along with many other areas of U.S. foreign aid, is likely to come under increasing scrutiny as a congressional "super committee" examines options to cut spending.
"I believe, with many others [in Congress], that if the Palestinians go forward with this type of unilateral action, we should review how and if we continue to support the Palestinian Authority" with U.S. assistance, Carnahan said Monday.
U.S. officials have predicted that a unilateral proposal to recognize Palestinian statehood would either be voted down -- or vetoed by the United States -- in the U.N. Security Council. However, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas could appeal to the General Assembly, which could possibly vote to upgrade Palestine to a non-member status.
As the Beacon reported Friday, the White House announced that Carnahan and a Republican congresswoman from New York would be the congressional representatives to the U.N. session starting this week.
Carnahan, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told the Beacon that his role was mostly "to be here and observe, but also to represent the role of Congress" in international issues. He was scheduled to speak to a global conservation group and be "on the lookout for international trade contacts" for Missouri. He planned to stay in New York to hear President Barack Obama's speech to the General Assembly on Wednesday morning, then return to Washington.
While Carnahan was in New York, members of the St. Louis chapter of the Palestine Solidarity Committeecomplained that the group -- which backs Palestine's efforts to achieve statehood -- had not been able to arrange a meeting with Carnahan, although it had met with a top aide.
A spokesman for Carnahan, Sam Drzymala, said Tuesday that the congressman was willing to meet with the group and that the St. Louis office was trying to find a mutually agreeable date to meet in the near future.