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UN General Assembly votes overwhelmingly to give
Palestine "non-member observer status" in spite of
threats.
By mickielynn on 2012-11-30 11:10:44
[caption id="attachment_3947" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Activists unveil a giant Palestine flag in support
of statehood, outside the EU Council in Brussels, 11/19/12, Reuters/Francois Lenoir Final signature count was 1.8 million
when petition was delivered."] =[/caption] Yesterday
evening at the United Nations, [Exactly 65 years after the creation of the State of Israel, in 1947 by the partition of what was
then Palestine], there was an overwhelming vote to recognize a Palestinian state. The final vote passed 138 to 9 with 41
countries abstaining and 3 not voting. Although this is just the beginning of a more equal struggle for true Palestinian
statehood it’s a definite victory. Even though the Palestinians are still occupied and do not have control over their borders,
their movements or their trade, their airspace or their waterways they now have international recognition for their goal of
independent statehood. Aside from the threats and promises of financial retaliation by Israel and the United States (more on
this later) they face other obstacles such as the separate and competing factions of Hamas and Fatah in Gaza and the West
Bank and the lack of any unified police or military forces under the banner of the PLO or other ruling body. What this vote
gave President Mahmoud Abbas and all Palestinians was a clear endorsement for the establishment of a Palestinian state in
the West Bank, Gaza strip and East Jerusalem. These are all territories captured by Israel in the 1967 war, the boundaries of
which have long been the subject of peace negotiations that have continued to go nowhere while Israel continued the
building of settlements and the stealing of more land, and water, and other resources. The vote also serves to demonstrate
the isolation of the United States and Israel on the subject of the treatment of the Palestinian people. In a speech given just
before the vote President Abbas said that this vote was “a last chance to save the two state solution.” He also said that "The
General Assembly is being asked today to issue the birth certificate of Palestine," Some of the other things that Abbas said
included the idea that despite the history of violence and Israeli aggressions, and occupation, Palestinians and the Palestinian
Authority have insisted on harmony and have looked at the "U.N. as a beacon of hope." Here are two quotes about his
intentions. "We did not come here seeking to delegitimize a state established years ago, and that is Israel. Rather we came to
affirm the legitimacy of a state that must now achieve its independence and that is Palestine," "The moment has come for the
world to say clearly: enough of aggression, enough with settlements and occupation," The vote was not a surprise since
support for a Palestinian state has been building throughout the world with recognition of a state of Palestine by 132
countries,, Palestinians already had 80 embassies and 40 representative offices around the world, according to the
Palestinian Foreign Ministry. But in addition to giving Palestine non-member observer status in the UN, [the same status that
the Vatican currently holds], it also gives them access to many of the United Nations bodies concerned with peace and
justice including the International Criminal Court, UNESCO, and the World Health Organization. One of the most positive
developments in the 138 yes votes was the number of European and other ’developed” nations voting for recognition.
Including France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Ireland, Japan, India and New Zealand. Some US allies abstained,
including Germany and Britain, after Britain wanted guarantees that Palestine would not bring Israel before the International
Criminal Court and other pre-conditions to recognition. The no vote that I found most surprising was by Canada, our
neighbor to the north [but also currently ruled by a very conservative government]. In case you’re interested the other “no
votes” were the United States and Israel, the Czech Republic, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Panama.
You can read the resolution and the surprising number of state sponsors here: http:/Avww.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?
symbol=A/67/L.28 Another positive development was the support [after the 8 day attacks on Gaza by Israel] by senior
members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Senior PLO negotiator Hanan Ashrawi told journalists on the day before the vote:
"There is not a single party or faction that is not onboard," This would bode well for further negotiations under a unified
Palestinian community, a necessary prerequisite for a Palestinian state or other stable peaceful solution. In addition, the 22
member Arab League has supported this approach. So now we come to the “threats” which are both political and financial.
You can read more about support and opposition and other useful background information in this article: O&A: Palestinian
bid for upgraded UN status http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-13701636 Here’s what they had to say about the
threats:
Looking to dissuade President Abbas from his plan, [Israel] has threatened to withhold crucial tax revenues it
collects on behalf of the PA and restrict movements of its officials from the West Bank. On 14 November, a
position paper leaked from Israel's foreign ministry also proposed "toppling" Mr Abbas if Palestine's bid for
UN non-member observer state status was approved. Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Lior Ben Dor said that
if President Abbas continued with the bid, he would be in breach of the 1993 Oslo Accord, under which the PA
was established.[...] The US, a major donor nation to the PA, could also impose some financial penalties. After
Palestine was admitted to UNESCO, Washington cut funding to the organisation under legislation dating back
to the 1990s. This mandated such a step if any UN agency granted full membership to Palestine before a
permanent peace settlement.[...]
Here’s what Hanan Ashrawi, a top Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) official, told a news conference in Ramallah:
"The Palestinians can't be blackmailed all the time with money.""Some rights aren't for sale," Ashrawi said. "If Israel wants
to destabilize the whole region, it can. We are talking to the Arab World about their support if Israel responds with financial
measures, and the EU has indicated they will not stop their support to us." [caption id="attachment_3959"
align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Palestinian youth holds sign as he faces IDF soldiers in the West Bank village of
al-Masara, November 30, 2012, EPA/ABED AL HASHLAMOUN"]
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/caption] There is so much
more to be said about the hope for true negotiations that this recognition brings but I think that Jewish Voice for Peace says
it best:
This vote will not create an independent Palestinian state. It could, however, give Palestinians the ability to hold
Israel accountable in the International Criminal Court. Despite its limitations as a tool to achieve a fair
resolution, Jewish Voice for Peace supports the move. A successful bid will show that the majority of the
world’s countries support Palestinian political and social rights. Meanwhile, Israel and the United States are
lobbying furiously against it. Both countries, which say they support Palestinian independence, have worked at
nearly every turn against a just and lasting peace for both peoples.
For those who rely on decades of US and Israeli propaganda to provide their understanding of the Israeli Palestinian conflict
here's a short [6 minute] video that provides a more balanced historical picture of the issues involved in achieving a lasting
and just peace in the region:
Embedded video at http://www.youtube.com/embed/Y 58njT20XfE
