When HL Becomes HS - A Diplomatic Typo

Steven Edwards notes that a:

UN ‘typo’ turns Mahmoud Abbas into head of state

The story:

The United Nations has assigned head-of-state status to the leader of the Palestinian Authority ahead of an anticipated vote by the world body on whether to recognize Palestinian statehood, a speakers list for the world body’s annual debate shows. An “HS” designation means that Mahmoud Abbas, as the Palestinian Authority president, can speak towards the beginning of the Sept. 21-27 summit alongside other heads of state – and ahead of most heads of government, such as Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

In previous years, Abbas has been listed as an “HL” – or “high level” delegate...the UN department responsible for issuing the list insisted it was a typo.

Edwards comments:

Yet how coincidental that the “mistake” comes in a year that the Palestinian Authority has pledged to seek official UN recognition of an independent Palestine that sits alongside an Israel with borders clipped to those that existed before the 1967 Six-Day War.

Anne Bayefsky of Eye on the UN first highlighted the mistake and said

“The UN has pre-judged any vote that might take place on Palestinian statehood...the entry reflects the deep-seated bias at the organization against Israel.”

I repeat the remark Yonatan Silverman made:

The only state the Palestinians

will get in September

is a state of mind.

(k/t=EK)
^