A U.S. veto of a Palestinian bid for UN recognition at a Security Council vote set later for Monday would damage the White House's image across the Middle East, the Palestinian ambassador to Russia said on Monday.
"A U.S. veto on the Palestinian issue will hit the Americans themselves, the Americans' reputation, as well as attitudes toward the U.S. in Arab and Muslim countries, and in many other countries," ambassador Faed Mustafa said.
"The United States did not give us any alternative," he said on the bid. "Everything that they do is to protect Israel's interests in the region," Mustafa added.
Mustafa also noted that the Palestinians would not consider it a success if Palestine only becomes a UN observer state. "We will only consider full membership in the UN as a real success," he said.
Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas urged the UN General Assembly on Friday to end the world's "last occupation" and recognize a Palestinian state.
The U.S. has said it will veto any Palestinian request for the Security Council to grant it full membership.
Abbas has said that he will press ahead with the bid in the General Assembly if rejected by the Security Council. Approval in the General Assembly alone would not give the Palestinians full membership status.
It would however give the Palestinians the power to take Israel to the International Criminal Court.
