Palestinian Authority denies Israeli reports on request for OSCE membership

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' diplomatic adviser Majdi al-Khalidi denied reports in Israeli media that Palestine had tried to join the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). "Joining the organization is not one of the Palestinian Authority’s priorities," al-Khalidi told the Palestinian news agency (Ma'an). Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported earlier Sunday that the Palestinian Authority tried to secure observer status at the OSCE's annual Parliamentary Assembly this weekend. The report said a vote to accept Palestine as an observer was defeated by 28 states, including Turkey, against 21 states who supported the move. Al-Khalidi denied that Palestine made any such request, and stressed that Palestine was in consultation with Arab states on its next steps for membership of international bodies, if talks with Israel fail to revive. The Palestinian leadership is seeking international recognition of its governance of the occupied territories. Last year, UNESCO granted Palestine full membership, a decision seen at the time as a boost to their bid, since largely stalled, to win UN recognition of statehood in the absence of peace talks with Israel.