A Modest Proposal: The UN General Assembly and Palestinian Recognition
Despite being described in some circles as such, the latest vote in the United Nations General Assembly on Palestine’s status is hardly extraordinary. For one, it does not vest the Palestinian territories with statehood but burnishes its credentials to join the club. It pushes those scrappy, desperate entities so despoiled and abused into deeper involvement with the processes at the UN itself. Palestinian non-observer status, granted in 2012, has left it mute in international affairs.
The May 10 resolution is seen, according to a summary from the UN, as an improvement, an “upgrade” to “the rights of the State of Palestine within the world body, but not the right to vote or put forward its candidature to such organs as the Security Council or the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).” The Assembly found Palestine a suitable candidate for full membership, recommending the Security Council “reconsider the matter favourably.”
The resolution was adopted with 143 votes in favour and nine against, including US and Israel, with 25 abstentions.
The grant of Palestinian membership requires a recommendation from the most powerful arm of the UN, the Security Council. In that body, the United States vigilantly protects Israeli interests and can be relied upon to stultify moves towards Palestinian statehood. Just last month, an Algerian sponsored resolution seeking Palestine’s admission as a state was quashed by Washington’s exercise of the veto. Palestinian Statehood could only come into being, argued the US representative, from “a comprehensive peace agreement.” Sustainable peace was only possible “via a two-State solution with Israel’s security guaranteed.” The resolution as it stood was a “premature” action.
Such reasons have become stale, a de facto acceptance that any Palestinian entity, should it ever arise, would be impotent on the international stage, defenceless, impoverished and subservient to Israel’s interests. For Israel, national security entails an impotent Palestine.
As things stand, the changes that will take effect from September 10 are hardly a reason for critics to stamp their feet or for supporters to roar with approval. The new status will permit, among others changes, seating alongside Member States in alphabetical order, the making of statements on behalf of a group, submitting proposals and amendments and their introduction, the right of delegate members to be elected as officers in the plenary and Main Committees of the General Assembly and “full effective participation in UN conferences and international conferences and meetings convened under the auspices of the General Assembly or, as appropriate, of other UN organs.”
With limitations duly noted, the momentum towards a more formal recognition of Palestinian statehood, and one the US-Israel partnership is increasingly losing control of, is unmistakable. In an interview on Spanish national radio RNE on May 9, the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, confirmed the veracity of Irish media reports that Spain, Ireland, and a number of other EU countries will recognise a Palestinian state this month.
The General Assembly resolution proved unpalatable to Israel, whose ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, was melodramatic and histrionic in response. Having come equipped with a shredder (a wonderful piece of equipment for a diplomat), he proceeded to place a copy of the UN Charter into it. “I shredded the ‘UN Charter’,” he explained, “to illustrate what the General Assembly is doing by subverting the Security Council and supporting the entry of a terror entity.”
Watch my speech against the despicable decision to give rights of a state to the terror supporting Palestinian Authority. I shredded the "UN Charter" to illustrate what the General Assembly is doing by subverting the Security Council and supporting the entry of a terror entity.
— Ambassador Gilad Erdan גלעד ארדן (@giladerdan1) May 10, 2024
Erdan’s reasoning, which can be taken to be that of the Netanyahu government more broadly, makes no distinction about Palestinian groups, let alone the differently controlled entities in Gaza and the West Bank. Hamas and the Palestinian Authority are conflated, an easy thing to do when there is no appetite, or intention among Israel’s political classes, for the establishment of any form of sovereign Palestinian state. Just as Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant claimed that Israel was “fighting against human animals” in Gaza following the Hamas attacks of October 7, we have Israel’s face of respectability at the UN stating the following: “The ambassadors know that the Palestinians are not ‘peace seekers’ but rather, supporters of terrorism.”
Those who label certain actions terroristic in nature often throw up the mirror to see an unpleasant reflection, even as they rage against it. The activities of Hamas on October 7 were bloodstained and traumatic; the sanguinary operations of Zionist paramilitary groups waged to create an Israeli state were not much better. Statehood’s creation is often concomitant with horrendous violence and a breach of conventions. “The annals of Zionist history,” writes S. Shamiri Hassan, “are full of leaders outdoing other leaders in insisting on the importance of military power and the role of force and terror in the building and safeguarding of the Zionist state: Joseph Trumpeldor, Vladimir Jabotinsky, Menahem Begin, Ben Gurion, and all the Israeli generals.”
The spectacle of the UN Charter vanishing as strips of paper in a shredder was inadvertently apt, given Israel’s own flouting of international law regarding Palestinian rights for decades, not to mention its current program of massacre, famine and displacement in Gaza. The fundamental lesson of May 10 for the government of Benjamin Netanyahu is that its iron grip on the fate of Palestinian statehood is proving increasingly precarious.
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13 comments
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Phil Pryor -
Douglas Pritchard -
Clakka -
Terence Mills -
Kerri -
Tones -
Terence Mills -
Tones -
leefe -
Douglas Pritchard -
Tones -
Terence Mills -
Kerri
Return to home pageZionist “thought”, actually a pox, is quite twisted, wrong, utterly distorted. There was a Palestine over time, over centuries. Zionists plotted to grab all or some, so murder, theft, occupation, humiliation were planned. Then, unlucky for Palestinians, the Ottoman era ended and the untrustworthy slutty British imperiaists got a mandate over the land there, with attitudes and strategies already contaminated by war, debt, Zionist lobbying. By May 1948, although there was still a Palestine, corruption and treachery allowed for zionists to fight, grab, take, sette on a larger scale. Truman’s, British, Europe and the world’s ultimate treachery was to never listen, honour, reward, the Palestinians. There should be no israel at all as we see today; there should HAVE BEEN a Palestine with a small proportion of jews, christians and others and a majority of palestinians of Islamic faith. Nobody back then wanted a two state solution.., it was to be and still is, ALL or NOTHING. Can some decent settlement, agreement, peace come into existence? How? Certainly we cannot bame of sue the Romans, Seljuks, Crusaders, Ottomans. And remember, the zionists were foreigners, intruders, for only Rabin was born in Palestine, of over forty leading zionist world figures.
Britanica, published by USA is not on the banned list of books, but is promoted with all the us values.
Palestine barely rates a mention, and no map to define a nation that helped us in WW2.
The unbreakable link between the worlds most deplorable terrorists, and this country carries on with its complicity through Pine gap and the spooks in some sort of weak bid for recognition
Who would want to share friendship with Genocide Jo, and his band of far right extremists in the middle east?
The entire history of the (religious) Jews, their relationship with others, their notion of the Holy Land and being ‘chosen’, and their various diasporas and returns is a mind-boggling multi-millennia confusion and jiggery-pokery., whilst the Arabs remained in the same lands.
Through the 20th century, through the guile and expedience of the ‘west’ and its bungling and divisive mock-apologia, the Jews of course countered with their own guile and expedience, all resulting in an embedded febrility in Israel, Palestine and surrounds.
They call it a democratic state, however, with the IDF being its sine qua non, it seems more like a suzerain to the US military hegemon, funded and armed to the teeth by them as a military outpost.
Since Rabin and Peres, the criminally corrupt Netanyahu and Likud and the now flunky IDF, have for years mind-blown the Israeli multi-country immigrant populous into blame hatred, with which now they attempt to hold the whole world to ransom.
It seems they are on a direct path to their own self-destruction (again).
I was looking at the UN General Assembly resolution after reading that former Prime Ministers Abbott and Morrison considered it too soon to be implementing a resolution of this sort.
The resolution required that :
Recognizing that the Palestinian people is entitled to self-determination in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations,
Expressing its grave concern that the Palestinian people has been prevented from enjoying its inalienable rights, in particular its right to self-determination,
Guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter,
Recalling its relevant resolutions which affirm the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination,
1. Reaffirms the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people in Palestine, including:
(a) The right to self-determination without external interference;
(b) The right to national independence and sovereignty;
2. Reaffirms also the inalienable right of the Palestinians to return to their homes and property from which they have been displaced and uprooted, and calls for their return;
3. Emphasizes that full respect for and the realization of these inalienable rights of the Palestinian people are indispensable for the solution of the question of Palestine;
4. Recognizes that the Palestinian people is a principal party in the establishment of a just and lasting peace in the Middle East;
5. Further recognizes the right of the Palestinian people to regain its rights by all means in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations;
6. Appeals to all States and international organizations to extend their support to the Palestinian people in its struggle to restore its rights, in accordance with the Charter;
BUT guess what ? This was Resolution 3236 (XXIX) which was passed in November 1974 : yes, fifty years ago . One of many such resolutions on the ‘Question of Palestine’, all of which have been completely ignored by Israel.
As these very stupid former prime ministers say, it’s far too soon to be recognising Palestine as a state !!!
One wonders of Israeli diplomats are interviewed or auditioned?
Further to that Terence, “the question of Palestine was first brought before the General Assembly in 1947. By resolution 181 (II), the Assembly decided to partition Palestine into two states, one Arab and one Jewish, with Jerusalem placed under a special international regime.”
A song and dance routine now for some 77 years.
UN website, a letter highlighting how this criminal genocidal shiteshow kicked off:
https://www.un.org/unispal/document/auto-insert-193242/
“Balfour Declaration – UK/Non-UN document
Foreign Office, November 2nd, 1917.
Dear Lord Rothschild,
I have much pleasure in conveying to you, on behalf of His Majesty’s Government, the following declaration of sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations which has been submitted to, and approved by, the Cabinet.
His Majesty’s Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of the object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious’ rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.
I should be grateful if you would bring this declaration to the knowledge of the Zionist Federation.
Yours sincerely, Arthur James Balfour”
Phil has the right idea, every time anyone tries to address the ‘Jewish’ situation and the genocide in Gaza, remember to differentiate between the Jews and Zionists. Zionists like to use Jews as human shields.
In the USA Zionists are trying to introduce an Anti-Semitic Bill which will spell the end of debate. They’re trying to cover their tracks of the genocide by calling on the religious exemption card. Imagine the govt here trying to introduce an Anti-Christian or Anti-Catholic Bill that jails anyone who claims there are pedos in the ranks of the clergy. Crimes can happen anywhere, exempting someone because of their claim to a special religion is nonsense.
Thanks for that,Tones.
It is quite astonishing how many UN resolutions Israel has completely ignored, just as they are ignoring the findings of the International Court of Justice.
An appropriate article by Henry Reynolds on the way Israel has been spinning antisemitism to hide genocide : we have to remember, the Palestinians are also semites.
Terence, interesting China dropped Israel in the soup re genocide. Chairman Mao must be rolling in his grave, laughing. There seems to be 4 main players vying with each other in a global takeover of all sovereign nations, ie Team Anglo-Euro, Team Russia, the CCP and Team Zionists.
In a related issue (sovereign takedowns), I’ve been trying to understand land title. Seems only First Nations people have ‘allodial’ title, good luck to them.
If former QLD senator Len Harris is correct, changes made to title legislation will wrong foot most Aussies. ‘What Every Queensland Homeowner Needs to Know in 2021’ – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Anszy5voSWs
I’m partway through a more recent video by Len, looking at the QLD Future Fund (Titles Registry) Act 2021.
When everyone else was running around like blue-arsed flies trying to dodge covid, mandates, unemployment and vaccines, politicians were busy setting up a scam that confers control of titles (in QLD) to ARNECC.
If you google the QFF ACT and search on the word ‘debt’, it doesn’t look good – https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/pdf/inforce/current/act-2021-012
In regard to allodial title (ALUR):
https://www.landequity.com.au/projects/allodial-land-use-registry-a – lur/
“Allodial Land Use Registry (ALUR) is a registry of Allodial Lands. . . two levels of recording of rights . . first is the recording of the perpetual Allodial Ownership of the land owned by the First Nation where a Certificate of Allodial Ownership can be issued. The second level of recording is the Permit system. . .for a period of up to 99 years. . .”
Why do I get the feeling that all land is going to be transferred to First Nations people (held by various entities), with all other Aust residents needing to apply for a 99 year permit to lease what they thought was their own free-titled land?
Politicians need to be watched like hawks, not because they are vultures, just because.
Tones:
Why do I get the feeling that all land is going to be transferred to First Nations people (held by various entities), with all other Aust residents needing to apply for a 99 year permit to lease what they thought was their own free-titled land?
I could suggest that it’s because you’re a paranoid bigot, but don’t want to descend to an ad hominem attack yet, because I’d rather give you enough rope to hang yourself.
btw, WTF does this have to do with Palestine?
We have to thank our lucky stars that Lord Balfour did not happen to gift a chunk of Australia for his generous action.
Is that why we call it the “lucky country”?
leefe, what has allodial title have to do with genocide in Gaza?
Let me think for a couple of milliseconds – UN, Zionism, land theft by any means, UNDRIP, scamming First Nation peoples out of their birthright with promises that are designed to fail – there you go, work with that.
Of course you might be right, I might be reading too much into documentation, except that the UN and the Zionists have history that’s lead to the current situation in Gaza.
Anyway, ALUR has a time frame of getting its ducks in a row by 2030, so plenty of time to see how things pan out.
Let’s revisit this in 6 years time.
Douglas Pritchard
The Kimberley almost became Australia’s Israel :
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-20/how-the-kimberley-almost-became-australias-israel/9566214
Months ago when this whole debacle was relatively new, I saw a comment on Twitter,
“what is wrong with the Palestinians that no Arab country will take them?”
I was tempted to reply,
“What was wrong in 1947, with the …….s, that no country in the world would take them?”
But of course that would make me…….