- Palestinians want and deserve long denied full UN de
jure membership and official statehood recognition, including all rights
granted other members.
-
- On September 23, Abbas formally petitioned the Security
Council. Normally it reviews applications for a maximum 35 days. Whether
or not America vetos Palestine's bid is irrelevant. It solely recommends.
Only the General Assembly admits new members.
-
- Abbas can petition it through the 1950 Uniting for Peace
Resolution 377 for an up or down two-thirds member vote to override potential
Security Council rejection or inaction.
-
- More than enough GA support assures what could have been
gotten days ago regardless of Security Council members do or don't do.
-
- On September 26, informal discussions began. No quick
decision is expected. Washington plans obstruction, delay, and subversion,
hoping to scuttle the idea entirely.
-
- On October 21, new Council members were elected by secret
ballot. In January, Pakistan, Morocco, Togo and Guatemala will replace
Brazil, Lebanon, Nigeria, Gabon, Bosnia. After a second round vote, either
Azerbaijan or Slovenia will join them.
-
- Palestinian officials claim support from nine Council
members, enough to force Washington to veto. If resolution isn't achieved
before January, slippage is certain as Pakistan, Morocco and Guatemala
most likely will back America.
-
- On October 23, Ma'an News said Security Council members
will finalize membership plans on November 11. Diplomats say voting then
should occur.
-
- An unnamed senior diplomat said:
-
- "(T)he 11th (of November) will probably be the end
of the Security Council consideration process, one way or the other. If
the Palestinians want a vote, there will be" one.
-
- Whether, in fact, Washington will have final say remains
unknown, but don't discount its high-powered pressure and threats to get
its way.
-
- Indications now suggest PLO officials want the vote,
but events ahead could change things. For example, if efforts to revive
peace talks succeed, Security Council resolution may be delayed to let
them proceed before acting.
-
- At this time, however, Israel's refusal to halt settlement
construction stalemates discussions. Palestinians won't resume them unless
that condition's met. At least it's their rhetorical position.
-
- More important is Palestinian statehood viability as
Israel keeps stealing more West Bank/East Jerusalem land. If Palestine
becomes the UN's 194 member, it may annex it, no matter how illegal.
-
- If so, what then? Isolated cantonized statehood is none
whatever. In 1948, Palestinians lost 78% of historic Palestine, in 1967
the rest now occupied.
-
- They want that portion back unoccupied. Backed by Washington,
Israel stands firmly opposed. That's where things now stand with no resolution
in sight unless Abbas petitions the General Assembly under Resolution 377.
-
- So far, he hasn't raised the possibility, suggesting
he'll subvert the aspirations of his own people by not acting responsibly.
-
- On October 23, Haaretz writer Sarah Kreimer headlined,
"East Jerusalem construction scuttling two-state solution," saying:
-
- In spite of shortages in Israel putting housing affordability
out of reach for growing numbers, settlement construction proceeds apace.
-
- "(W)hat's wrong," asked Kreimer, "with
the recent government decision to advance the construction of 2,610 apartments
in Givat Hamatos in (East) Jerusalem?"
-
- Calling it a "neighborhood" can't disguise
Israel's first new settlement since Har Homa in 1997. Its development stoked
international controversy. Will Givat Hamatos provoke more?
-
- Is it "Netanyahu's 'price tag' for the Palestinian
decision to apply for UN membership?" Is it his way of saying nyet?
-
- With no public debate, the project's proceeding "piece
by piece. (It's) unilaterally sealing the southern border of annexed East
Jerusalem with Israeli construction."
-
- Moreover, in the past year, Israel approved or advanced
5,000 more homes in the same area, including 2,000 to expand Gilo toward
Wallajeh and Beit Jala. In addition, another 1,000 will enlarge Har Homa
toward Beit Sahur.
-
- Now 2,000 more will link Har Homa with Gilo as Israel
gradually steals all East Jerusalem to entirely prevent Palestinians from
claiming it as their rightful capital.
-
- Besides expropriating all valued Judea and Samaria land,
Israel also wants Palestinian statehood viability subverted. In other words,
if not enough land remains within 1967 borders and East Jerusalem is entirely
colonized, what remains is no state at all.
-
- As a result, Israel's expansion plans "wreak havoc
with the one set of principles agreed upon by most Israeli and Palestinian
negotiators." Under them, Gilo would become part of Israel in return
for other land within Green Line borders.
-
- In addition, remaining East Jerusalem territory would
stay uncolonized as Palestine's capital. However, Israel's ongoing and
planned construction forecloses two-state viability entirely.
-
- Moreover, without halting construction and resolving
Jerusalem's borders, peace talks are a non-starter.
-
- There's more. Givat Hamatos, an Ethiopian Jewish ghetto,
will surround Palestinian Beit Safafa, stealing "the last available
land reserves that would let this" neighborhood grow.
-
- Israel says one thing and does another. At issue is preventing
peace and subverting Palestinian statehood viability.
-
- Nonetheless, Netanuyahu rhetorically rejects unilateralism
at the same time relentlessly pursing it. Expanding Gilo, Givat Hamatos
and other illegal settlements resonates louder than promises made, then
broken.
-
- Netanyahu is a notorious liar. Palestinians know, or
should, he's no reliable peace partner. Nor will he compromise an inch
to let Palestine become the UN's 194 member.
-
- Palestinians are on their own to get it. It's high time
PA leaders tried.
-
- Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at
lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.
-
- Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and
listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive
Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central
time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy
listening.
-
- http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/.
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