U.N. Vote on Palestinian Statehood Blocked by U.S., Israel and Germany

The upcoming vote to support recognition of the Palestinian people is being blocked by the U.S., Israel and Germany who have all expressed that they will vote against the Palestinians. It is obvious why the U.S. and Israel would block the vote, as their military and colonialist system of occupation depends upon the continued subjugation and apartheid of the Palestinian people. Germany isn't in the same position as the two imperialist states, other than having a right wing leader named Angela Merkel. However, Germany seems willing to side with the racist state of Zionist Israel in denying the Palestinian people a sovereign voice at the U.N. and a potential for recognition. By making the choice to block Palestinian recognition in the U.N. Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel is following in the footsteps of another well known racist by the name of Adolf Hitler.

However, many other nations including France, Spain and Britian have decided to choose in favor of human rights by supporting the vote to recognize the Palestinian people. There are no realistic reasons to deny the Palestinian people recognition other than the desire to continue apartheid. Certainly many racists in apartheid South Africa were disappointed when their state sanctioned discrimination was ended, as there will be many sad and angry Zionist racists following the likely majority vote to support Palestinian recognition.

If the Palestinian do win the U.N. vote to recognize statehood, they will only be considered a "non-member" state with the same status as the Vatican, yet even this slight amplification of the Palestinian voice seems to be enough to frighten the Zionist war criminals in Israel who fear prosecution for decades of war crimes against the occupied Palestinians. Even if the Palestinians did support pursuing war crimes (they don't, though in my opinion is they should!), what harm would this do to anyone other than those responsible for the decades of killing innocent Palestinian civilians?

All struggles for civil rights depend upon the public airing of truths about the evils of racial discrimination. The war criminals from the GW Bush regime remain free and untried because our beloved "hope for change" President Obama has chosen to "let bygones be bygones" despite thousands of needless deaths (U.S. and Iraqi) resulting from GW Bush's illegal invasion of Iraq. Now Pres. Obama shows his "hope for change" by blocking the U.N. recognition of the Palestinians, which would be the exact same choice made by Republicans such as GW Bush or Mitt Romney. With friends like these who needs enemies?






"Britain ready to back Palestinian statehood at UN

Mahmoud Abbas pledge not to pursue Israel for war crimes and resumption of peace talks are UK conditions"

by Ian Black, Middle East editor

guardian.co.uk, Monday 26 November 2012

"Britain is prepared to back a key vote recognising Palestinian statehood at the United Nations if Mahmoud Abbas pledges not to pursue Israel for war crimes and to resume peace talks.

Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, has called for Britain's backing in part because of its historic responsibility for Palestine. The government has previously refused, citing strong US and Israeli objections and fears of long-term damage to prospects for negotiations.

On Monday night, the government signalled it would change tack and vote yes if the Palestinians modified their application, which is to be debated by the UN general assembly in New York later this week. As a "non-member state", Palestine would have the same status as the Vatican.

Whitehall officials said the Palestinians were now being asked to refrain from applying for membership of the international criminal court or the international court of justice, which could both be used to pursue war crimes charges or other legal claims against Israel.

Abbas is also being asked to commit to an immediate resumption of peace talks "without preconditions" with Israel. The third condition is that the general assembly's resolution does not require the UN security council to follow suit.

The US and Israel have both hinted at possible retaliation if the vote goes ahead. Congress could block payments to the Palestinian Authority and Israel might freeze tax revenues it transfers under the 1993 Oslo agreement or, worse, withdraw from the agreement altogether. It could also annex West Bank settlements. Britain's position is that it wants to reduce the risk that such threats might be implemented and bolster Palestinian moderates.

France has already signalled that it will vote yes on Thursday, and the long-awaited vote is certain to pass as 132 UN members have recognised the state of Palestine. Decisions by Germany, Spain and Britain are still pending and Palestinians would clearly prefer a united EU position as counterweight to the US.

Willian Hague, the foreign secretary, discussed the issue on Monday with Abbas and the French foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, offiicals said.

Palestinian sources said Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, raised the issue with Abbas at his Ramallah headquarters last week, shortly before a ceasefire was agreed in the Gaza Strip, as had Tony Blair, the Quartet envoy.

Abbas has been widely seen to have been sidelined by his rivals in the Islamist movement Hamas, as well by his failure to win any concessions from Israel. Abbas, whose remit does not extend beyond the West Bank, hopes a strong yes vote will persuade Israel to return to talks after more than two years.

Officals in Ramallah have opposed surrendering on the ICC issue so it can be used as a bargaining chip in future, but views are thought to be divided. Abbas said at the weekend: "We are going to the UN fully confident in our steps. We will have our rights because you are with us."

Leila Shaid, Palestine's representative to the EU, said: "After everything that has happened in the Arab spring, Britain can't pretend it is in favour of democracy in Libya, Syria and Egypt but accept the Palestinians continuing to live under occupation. As the former colonial power, Britain has a historic responsibility to Palestine. Britain is a very important country in the Middle East, it has extensive trade relations, and David Cameron should know he risks a popular backlash from Arab public opinion if he does not support us."

Palestinians have rejected the claim that they are acting unilaterally, calling the UN path "the ultimate expression of multilateralism". Israel's apparent opposition to unilateralism has not stopped it acting without agreement to build and expand settlements, they say."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/27/uk-ready-to-back-palestine-statehood



"Yesterday, the US warned the Palestinian Authority not to seek recognition at the UN General Assembly, but the warning doesn’t appear to have carried much weight with Mahmoud Abbas … or even our closest diplomatic allies. Earlier this morning, France’s Foreign Minister announced to the National Assembly that it would vote in favor of granting Palestine non-member status in the UNGA:


France said on Tuesday it would vote in favour of Palestinian non-member status at the United Nations, boosting Palestinian efforts to secure greater international recognition.

Frustrated that their bid for full U.N. membership last year was thwarted by U.S. opposition in theU.N. Security Council, Palestinians have launched a watered-down bid for recognition as a non-member state, similar to the status the Vatican enjoys.

The proposal, which is due to be put to the vote in the General Assembly at the end of the week, would implicitly recognize Palestinian statehood. It could also grant access to bodies such as the International Criminal Court in The Hague, where the Palestinians could file complaints against Israel."

http://hotair.com/archives/2012/11/27/france-to-vote-for-un-recognition-for-palestine/




"Palestinian Statehood UN Vote: Germany Will Not Support Palestinian Recognition Bid"


11/28/12 08:25 AM ET EST


"BERLIN -- Germany says it won't back a Palestinian drive for statehood in a U.N. vote this week – putting it at odds with France and other European countries.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said Wednesday Berlin is still evaluating the situation and consulting with its European partners. But he said: "It is also very certain that Germany will not vote for such a resolution."

Officials left open whether Germany will vote against raising the Palestinians' status from a U.N. observer to a nonmember observer state when the U.N. General Assembly considers the issue on Thursday.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Andreas Peschke says Germany's priority is to avoid anything that could damage prospects of a negotiated two-state solution.

Germany last year voted against Palestinian membership of UNESCO, the U.N. cultural agency."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/28/palestinian-statehood-germany_n_2203886.html?utm_hp_ref=world




Anyone still hoping for change from Pres. Obama can forget about it! The bipartisan status quo in the U.S. is to bow down to the wishes of the two major Zionist lobby groups; AIPAC and CUFI (Christians United for Israel), the exact same vote we would have gotten under Republican Romney or GW Bush!!

Outside of his African heritage, Pres. Obama has shown himself to be another follower of the racist Zionist Israeli state's apartheid ideology that mirrors Hitler's Nazis rule of Germany. Just more proof that skin color is meaningless as any human has the potential to become a racist dictator that uses their power to deprive weaker people of their human rights.




"Barack Obama, the US president, has rejected Palestinian plans to seek statehood at the United Nations, and said Washington's commitment to Israel's security is "ironclad".

Obama was speaking at the annual policy meeting of American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the main pro-Israel lobby in the US, on Sunday amid unprecedented tumult in the Middle East and new strains in US-Israeli relations.

"No vote at the United Nations will ever create an independent Palestinian state," Obama said.

"And the United States will stand up against efforts to single Israel out at the UN or in any international forum. Because Israel's legitimacy is not a matter for debate."

On Thursday, the US president for the first time publicly called on Israel to accept a return to territorial lines in place before the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, with mutual land swaps with Palestinians, to frame a secure peace.

The formula was rejected by Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, who told Obama at a White House summit on Friday that the 1967 borders were "indefensible".

That prompted Palestinian officials to say that they would seek recognition for Palestinian statehood in the UN General Assembly in September.

European Union states, UN diplomats say, are looking increasingly favourably on the idea of recognising a Palestinian state.

However, any statehood vote would have first to be approved in the UN Security Council, where the US - which insists on a negotiated peace accord - has a veto.

On Sunday, Obama reiterated the US's commitment to defending the existence of Israel.

"You also see our commitment to Israel's security in our steadfast opposition to any attempt to de-legitimise the State of Israel," he said.

"As I said at the United Nation's last year, Israel's existence must not be a subject for debate, and efforts to chip away at Israel's legitimacy will only be met by the unshakeable opposition of the United States."

However, Obama said the current situation in the Middle East was "unsustainable".

'Unbreakable bonds'


Obama said: "Even while we may at times disagree, as friends sometimes will, the bonds between the United States and Israel are unbreakable, and the commitment of the United States to the security of Israel is ironclad.

He also called the recent unity deal between Fatah and Hamas "an enormous obstacle to peace", and called on Hamas to release Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier captured five years ago.

"No country can be expected to negotiate with a terrorist organisation sworn to its destruction," Obama said.

"We will continue to demand that Hamas accept the basic responsibilities of peace: recognising Israel's right to exist, rejecting violence, and adhering to all existing agreements."

But he added: "No matter how hard it may be to start meaningful negotiations under the current circumstances, we must acknowledge that a failure to try is not an option. The status quo is unsustainable."

Rosiland Jordan, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Washington, said Obama had received a polite welcome and been applauded when he talked about the US's commitment to defending Israel's sovereignty.

But some in the 10,000 audience had booed when Obama mentioned the 1967 borders, she said.

'Sovereign state'

Obama said there had been "nothing particularly original" in his speech on Thursday.

"But since questions have been raised, let me repeat what I actually said," he said.

"I said that the United States believes that negotiations should result in two states, with permanent Palestinian borders with Israel, Jordan, and Egypt, and permanent Israeli borders with Palestine.

"The borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps, so that secure and recognised borders are established for both states.

"The Palestinian people must have the right to govern themselves, and reach their potential, in a sovereign and contiguous state."

Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera's senior political analyst, said: "He [Obama] is saying absolutely nothing new ... he remains, I think, more or less, adamant that it has to be up to the Israelis and the Palestinians.

"Which basically, de facto, means it's up to the Israelis to dictate what exactly their security requirements are for any contours of a Palestinian solution."

Netanyahu said on Sunday that he would work alongside Obama for a way to renew frozen peace talks with
the Palestinians.

In a statement responding to Obama's speech, Netanyahu said: "I am a partner to President Obama's wish to promote peace and I appreciate his efforts in the past and present to achieve this goal. I am determined to work with Presdient Obama to find ways to renew peace talks."

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2011/05/201152214281951998.html