The impressive march of the Palestinian people towards statehood had reached an important milestone with the application for United Nations Membership, Raza Bashir Tarar, Pakistan’s deputy permanent representative to the U.N., said in a speech to the 15-member Council. “An affirmative action by the Security Council and by the General Assembly will set the foundation for lasting solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” he said in the course of a debate on the Middle East question. Earlier, the US Ambassador to the U.N., Susan Rice, warned that the Palestinian move for UN membership could “derail” Middle East peace efforts, ahead of a new international attempt to bring Israelis and Palestinians back to negotiations. American officials have indicated that the US would veto the resolution approving the Palestinians’ bid. But the Pakistani delegate said the Palestine’s membership of the UN would set a foundation for the lasting solution of the conflict and rectify the historical injustices suffered by the Palestinian people. Palestine’s application, which was submitted last month, is currently with the Council’s committee that deals with the admission of new members. Any application for UN membership is considered by the Council, which decides whether or not to recommend admission to the 193-member General Assembly, which then has to adopt a resolution for the admission of a member state. Palestine currently has observer status at the UN. In his speech, Tarar, the Pakistani delegate also aid the recent prisoner exchange also bode well. He congratulated the families of those released, saying that the agreement proved that all disputes and differences could be resolved amicably through negotiations. The Pakistani delegate hoped that it would reinforce the will to find mutually-acceptable compromises and would lead to the release of more Palestinian prisoners. The Latest initiative of the Middle East diplomatic Quartet—the United States, Russia, The European Union and the United Nations—to renew negotiations was positive in its intent, but was neutralized by the Israeli decision to build new settlements. He called for an end to that activity and for an easing of the blockade of Gaza.