Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian President, has called for his country to be granted full membership of the United Nations — a dramatic declaration that comes against the backdrop of failed peace talks and mounting international criticism of Israel's aggressive expansion of settlements.
Mr. Abbas presented a formal letter to the United Nations U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon asking for the Palestinian request to be presented before the Security Council, before his address to the General Assembly on Friday, the political centre-piece of the ongoing session.
“The time has come,” Mr. Abbas said, “for my courageous and proud people, after decades of displacement and colonial occupation and ceaseless suffering, to live like other peoples of the earth, free in a sovereign and independent homeland.”
Mr. Abbas accused Israel of seeking to “redraw the borders on our land according to what it wants and to impose a fait accompli on the ground that changes the realities and that is undermining the realistic potential for the existence of the State of Palestine.” Its settlement policies, he said, would “destroy the chances of achieving a two-State solution upon which there is an international consensus.”
He warned that Israeli policies could “transform the raging conflict in our inflamed region into a religious conflict and a threat to the future of a million and a half Christian and Muslim Palestinians.”
The Palestinian President was greeted with a standing ovation and enthusiastic whistles — a sign of the overwhelming support the membership request has in the U.N. General Assembly. India's Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai said last week that India would support the Palestinian bid — though it could be several weeks, or even months, before it is considered by the Security Council.
Palestinians believe full U.N. membership will put pressure on Israel to return to peace talks aimed at creating two separate States, compelling it to negotiate on terms of parity — one State with another. The proposal has been bitterly resisted by Israel and the United States, which has threatened to veto the Palestinian bid when it is presented in the Security Council.
U.S. stand
U.S. President Barack Obama argued against the Palestinian bid in a speech delivered to the General Assembly on Wednesday, saying “peace will not come through statements and resolutions at the U.N.” “I am convinced” he said, “that there is no short cut to the end of a conflict that has endured for decades.”
President Obama — who told the United Nations a year ago that he hoped there would be a Palestinian State by now — said he was “frustrated with the lack of progress,” but opposed membership for the country.
The United States and Israel have also said they could impose sanctions against the Palestinian Authority if its bid goes through. Palestinians have responded by saying they will consider dissolving their administration in retaliation. Saeb Erekat, a veteran Palestinian negotiator, told Israel his administration would “invite you to become the only authority from the River Jordan to the Mediterranean.”
That would make Israel take administrative responsibility for the West Bank, and raising the prospect that it would have to accord citizenship rights to millions of Arabs — diluting its character as a Jewish state.
Diplomatic sources said the Security Council was likely to delay consideration of the Palestinian request to give the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations time to persuade both sides to resume negotiations.
French President Nicholas Sarkozy had earlier proposed a compromise, which would grant Palestine the status of a “non-member State.”
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Thursday that the U.S. would continue to push for peace negotiations irrespective of the Palestinian bid. Her country, she said, would “remain focussed on the day after.”
For all the contention caused by the Palestinian bid, the fact is that that the U.N. has long recognised its right to a State. The U.N. had first resolved to create a Palestinian State alongside Israel in 1947, when it passed Resolution 181, partitioning the region. From 1969, a string of other resolutions followed, culminating in 1974 with Resolution 3236, recognising the Palestinian “right to national independence and sovereignty.”
Observer status
The Palestine Liberation Organisation was granted observer status at the U.N. on the basis of Resolution 3236, and the next year, the Security Council agreed that it could join in its debates. In 1998, five years after Israel and the Palestinians accepted a road map for peace leading to a two-State solution, the PLO was awarded a permanent mission to the U.N.
Keywords: Palestine and U.N., Palestine Israel conflict
Unless a fundamental step is first taken by Palestine, the problem in question can never be resolved: Hamas has to recognise the existence of Israel as Fatah has done. Hamas has also to comprehend that the land between the river Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea has to be shared by both Israel and Palestine. Hamas cannot carry on with the Ottoman Empire baggage of yore and demand that Israel should vacate the area and disappear into thin air! The six outstanding issues between the two have got further rooted in their respective positions and will get more cemented at this rate, nullifying any attempts to bring them to the negotiating table unless Hamas changes its stance. A lot was expected from the Sharm el Sheikh meeting of 2000 hosted by Hosni Mubarak and supervised by Bill Clinton, and attended by then Israeli PM Ehud Barak and Yasser Arafat. Unfortunately, the latter's obduracy put paid to it all and Hamas' leadership seems to have continued with this intrangisence.
This bid is not going to bring peace in the region. What Abbas is doing is a symbolic one, there wont be any changes to the ground realities either in West Bank or Gaza or the whole Palestinian lands. Accepting 1967 borders means the occupation remains and influence and Blockade of Israeli State on Gaza and whole Jerusalem remains. It is just a pseudo independence for Palestinians.
Potential approval by the UN notwithstanding, this move cannot be but a show of defiance on the part of a beleaguered Palestine. The toothless tiger which is the UN cannot enforce its own resolutions, especially when applied to 'powerful' nations such as Israel or the US. Israel has been in defiance of the infamous Resolution 242 since 1967. The Israeli state's mindset is unlikely to have shifted since then, however the force of world opinion could be brought to bear on the US and Israel over the next few years.
Indeed Abbas has seized the moment in history in the wake of Arab Spring .His decision to go to UN seems wise , shrewd and canny.US and France cannot and will not support Palestine as the state due to heavy Jewish lobbies in these countries. If Palestine is ready to abjure the violence and is ready to learn etiquette of democracy there is no point in keeping such vital issues in abeyance .Declaration of state at least will create some type of reprieve in life of most unhappy people in the world. I am calling them unhappy because they do not have homeland to call as their own country.
Creation of state of Palestine should not escalate terrorism emanating from radical groups of that country .To control them keep in check will be incumbent on new democratic government .Hope that peace will prevail in that region after decades.
Calculated,calm and incisive speech by Mr.Mahmoud Abbas,aiming at the heart of the matter.He did a great job by not taking a vitriolic stand and presenting himself as a sensible and phlegmatic leader.I would say it was the risk worth taking given the fiasco of past negotiations between Palestine and Israel.It might not change anything but it will force world leaders to face uncomfortable truths about the influence and purpose of U.N. Now is the time to face the heat than to sit back and enjoy the show.Israel needs to be made temperate and cooperating.Don't disappoint us yet again,U.N.
God Bless Palestine! We are all waiting to see an independent Palestine take birth so that the present and future generations of Palestinian people grow up in peace.
As Mr. Abbas himself had said,anyone with even a shred of consciousness,will never oppose the legitimate right he is seeking for his people at this world body. After all,isn't it the part of modusoperandi of this conglomeration of nations to protect a weak party from a warring nation,the legitimacy of whose nationhood is still contended,which is hypnotised by it's super-advanced military capability and agonising ignorance of world community towards the pain it is inflicting on the millions of people.As for US,it has taken such a despicable position that lesser we talk of it better it is.This statement,'Peace will not come through statements and resolutions at the U.N.If it were that easy, it would have been accomplished by now',is a crude joke on the very purpose of UN,that could have come only from US,because I guess,no one else can dare have the effrontery to display this naked hypocrisy.If it is really so,is UN there only to give ticket to US to bombard it's antagonist?
An opportunity to undermine the role of the US in UN, by favouring Palestine. Creating a nation will surely give a better future for Palestnian citizens. But, Israel-Palestine relations might receive a setback if there are no talks between the two states. Efforts must be taken to ensure peaceful "identification" and the international community must stress on "co-existence" than "dominanace".
The problem is that the peace process is stuck where it was in 1929, before there was a Israel and certain bigoted Muslims were murdering Jews in Hebron. The Muslim leaders cannot accept a Jewish state in the middle east. Muslims must always be in a superior position according to the Koran.They have handcuffed themselves. he UN bid was another attempt by the PA to get a state without actually working owards peace. The "right of return is always kept as a way to get rid of Israel demographically . 750,000 Arabs left Israel during 1948, most at the urging of the Grand Mufti so that they could get out of the way as the combined arab armies killed the Jews. An equal number of Jews were kicked out of Arab untries. Not the MIllions of refugees now claimed by the PA.
The struggle for Palestinian independence is on a par with the anti-apartheid movement. The world needs to ensure that Palestinians enjoy full freedoms and human dignity and also that Israel remains a state, but a less belligerent one.
Nice take Mr Atul Aneja..You have touched the issues at hand astutely.The Poll result is a very welcomesome trend.The Palestinians deal must end ..
Negotiations will never bring Palestinian and Israelis to an agreement. Justice and Fairplay for them must come a third party, i.e., the International Community. The solution may be found by a Tribunal, comprising of International Judges, Statesmen and Historians, who will make a binding resolution on both Palestine and Israel after a reasonable period of hearing from both parties. The UN Security Council then adopts the resolution which must include the UN PeaceKeeping Force to implement the resolution and threat of sanctions for non compliance.
US spent 1 trillion dollars to fight war on terrorism. But by favoring the Israelis they have proved they are not fair people to be trusted. Arabs will not tolerate this back stabbing work.
And US 1 trillion dollar is down to the drain.
What a speech it was! At last, Mr. Mahmoud Abbas could represent the heart and soul of Palestinians in a true manner. It was a courageous & proud move by Palestinians that will at least reveal the double standard by USA while posing them selves as Saviour of peace & democracy. Now, it is the turn of Unites Nations to prove its credibility as a world body.
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