Palestine

Mahmoud Abbas, otherwise known as Abu Mazen, Prime Minister of Palestine, is to present a petition to the UN asking to be a recognised state.

I can't help thinking this will do nothing for the people he represents, but plenty for him.

It cannot succeed, in the present form, at least. Everyone believes in a two state solution to the problem, but it must come through negotiation. The Americans, and the British if Cameron has any courage, will veto it. Other Arab countries will vote in favour, but none of Palestine's neighbours, such as Syria or Egypt can do anything practical to help: they have too much going on within their own borders. In any case Arab countries have traditionally shown a reluctance to get involved.

And whom does Abbas speak for? Gaza, supposedly a part of Palestine, is ruled by his opponents, Hamas. If Palestine were to become a member of the UN, it would be a country without borders - the demarcation lines are, at best, in dispute. And for there to be a land bridge between Gaza and East Jerusalem, the consent of the Israelis would be required. A solution as in Northern Ireland where each country recognises the other's independent existence through its constitution would exclude Gaza.

Abbas must know all this, and thus the only possible conclusion is that he is pursuing statehood in order to bolster his own position, at the expense of peace among his people.

This demarche is the last thing Palestine needs.