In November the Palestinians are likely to present to the United Nations General Assembly a resolution seeking to upgrade their statehood status, the GA’s new president Vuk Jeremic told reporters in New York late Wednesday afternoon.

“I think that come the middle of November there will be an international debate on the Palestinian issue,” Jeremic said.

“My understanding is that the PA leadership is going to engage in extensive discussions and consultations on this matter, coming to a conclusion about what they want to do sometime in November,” he said.

He added that as a result of conversations he has had during the opening session of the 67th GA in New York on this issue, “I am blocking out November. I am not going to go for vacation in November.”

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and his chief negotiator Saeb Erekat have already said they plan to ask the UN General Assembly to upgrade their status from that of an observer mission, to one of an observer state or a non-member state.

They are seeking the support of 150 to 170 of the UN’s 193 member nations, although all they need for passage of their resolution is a majority vote. Passage of the resolution is considered to be a de-facto recognition of unilateral Palestinian statehood. It offers the Palestinians some additional rights as a state before the UN.

GA resolutions cannot be vetoed.

The PA has opted for a GA resolution, after failing to obtain the nine votes necessary from the 15 countries on the UN Security Council for full UN membership. Only the Security Council can grant full UN membership.

The US, which has veto power on the council, has promised to veto a Palestinian membership bid there, if it passes.