A wave of defiance is building up in the Arab world against the address by the President of the United States, Barack Obama, in the United Nations, where he rejected the anticipated Palestinian bid for a formal international recognition as an independent State by the world body.
In the West Bank city of Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian authority, dozens of protesters slammed Mr. Obama for his rejection in the U.N. of the much expected Palestinian gambit for formal independence. Some of the protesters held signs which castigated Mr. Obama as “the hypocrite”. Others blamed the U.S. President for siding "with killers against victims".
But the impact of Mr. Obama’s address was beginning to be felt far beyond Ramallah. The Egyptian newspaper Al Ahram reported on its website that preparations were underway across the region for a wave of protests.
On Friday, demonstrations in support of Palestinian recognition by the U.N. are expected in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya-three countries which have epitomised the pro-democracy movement that has been sweeping across the Arab world. The activists are expected to reject Mr. Obama’s address during the planned protests. Analysts say that these protests are likely to neutralise the positive impact in the region that had been created by Mr. Obama’s address at Cairo University in June 2009.
An opinion poll by conducted by GlobeScan for BBC World Service, has revealed that 90 per cent of the Egyptians support Palestinian recognition. Respondents also expressed strong backing for the Palestinians in Turkey, Indonesia and China.
During his address on Wednesday, Mr. Obama said that peace would not be achieved “through statements and resolutions at the U.N.” He added: “If it were that easy, it would have been accomplished by now.”
Direct negotiations
Calling for direct negotiations, Mr. Obama said: “We will only succeed in that effort if we can encourage the parties to sit down together, to listen to each other and to understand each other’s hopes and fears. That is the project to which America is committed, and that is what the United Nations should be focused on in the weeks and months to come.”
Later during a meeting with the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, Mr. Obama said the U.S. would veto any U.N. resolution recognising an independent Palestinian State. "We would have to oppose any action at the U.N. Security Council including, if necessary, vetoing," said Ben Rhodes, the White House national security council spokesman, after the two leaders had met in New York.






It is foolish to hope that Obama would accept the demand of Palestine's independent statehood. If he even thinks of accepting the demand, he would be thrown in the garbage of history in the next presidential run up. For America is manned and its policies manipulated by a powerful zionist lobby!
Wonder why USA's hegemonic designs are approved and endrosed by most of the developed nations.Power matters the most and goodwill and ethics takes the back seat.Everyone knows the deprivation of homeland to the palestinians is unethical and illegitimate but yet they stick to their biased stand only to confront the weak and defenceless people and further to tag them as "jehadis"..down with Obama,the dramatist.He has become a clown playing to both the sides.
We can also say that palestinian cause/right can not be suppressed by US veto in UN assembly
This Veto threat showed that USA is not an honest broker for peace in the Middle East. The Palestinian are negotiating with Israel for last 20 yaers, no progress, no tangible gain. If they[Palestinian] take arm struggle they are termed terrorist.In other sitation, if the occupied, oppressed people try to get independence, they are termed the freedom fighters.The treatment, the daily humiliation, the Palestinian people are getting from the Israelis are worse than the Jews were treated in the concentration camps in Germany under hitler.The Palestinian will get a state of their own in the long run, might take time, but that is inevitable.
Mr. Obama the Commander-in-Speech lost his balance in when he address saying peace would not be achieved through resolution in UN. Was it not that, Israel was created by resolution in UNO, the Gulf War 1 was sanctioned by resolution in security council, Peace was brought to Libya by statement and resolution, Sanctions on Iran happen by resolution, US knocked the door of UN to invade Afghanistan.
It is time for Obama to walk the talk. It is time Obama to get Netanyahoo and Israel to what is right. Palestenian's have suffered enough, they deserve a homeland.
On the one hand Obama was addressing foreign dignitories and on the other wooing the domestic voters. A clear instance of domestic politics influencing foreign policy. Not good signs for Palestine, much to follow in troubled region
It Was expected and happened nothing surprised , Mr. President's word and act are very different. South Sudan and NTC got very easily recognition but Palestine can't Fantastic. How South Sudan get recognition in UN similarly NTC? why and how? Why can't Palestine? Not only Arab but whole world wants to known. League of nations is no more now UN is also losing its credibility hence world body required formation of an effective body which can represent world effectively. A balanced body where every body can get equal treatment and no single veto power will work.
Please Email the Editor