The UN Security Council had made the decision to oppose a timetable for Palestinian independence. The United States, one of the five members who can execute a veto, exercised that veto with a NO vote. Australia joined the United States in voting no on the Resolution supported by Russia, France, and China, among others. Great Britain and four other foreign states abstained from the voting. The Resolution was drafted by Jordan on Palestines behalf, setting a one-year deadline for negotiating Palestinian independence, including a capitol in East Jerusalem, and called for the full withdrawal of the Israeli Armed Forces from Palestine by 2017. Palestine, which has been given observer state status by the UN General Assembly, has been seeking a way to gain independence by any way that excludes Israel from the process. Israel itself has serious national security concerns if Palestine is granted independence; the unrecognized state has been shelling Israel from their Gaza territories since the beginning, and several Palestinian political leaders oppose Israels right to exist as a sovereign state. UN Ambassador Samantha Power (D) stated that the Resolution did not fully adapt to Israels national security needs, but also cautions Israel not to take the vote as accepting the status quo. Palestinian diplomat Saeb Erekat stated that “we [Palestine] presented a resolution that is fully in line with international law, and which recalls several previously approved resolutions by the United Nations. Although the majority of the Security Council voted in favor of the resolution, once again, certain countries continue to ensure impunity to the Israeli occupation and its severe international law violations by not voting in favor of the Resolution. Secretary of State John Kerry (D-MA) originally sought to defer the vote until after the Israeli Elections, fearing that such a move would ignite the far-right politics. Secretary Kerry met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Erekat, and several European and Russian diplomats. The move led to USs veto being unnecessary. Several foreign states abstained, including Great Britain, Nigeria, South Korea, Lithuania, and Rwanda. The strategy was an attempt not just to avoid a vote, but also to try to appease Arab states, which the US needed in their battle with ISIL. Jordan, whos seat represents the Arab states, originally planned to propose a more centrist and reasonable Resolution, but their Arab colleagues demanded the wording as such. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas made the move in order to appease domestic political push. Palestines next push is to attempt to ratify the treaty of the International Criminal Court, which would allow them the ability to sue Israel for human rights violations. The US warned that doing so would lead to sanctions. nytimes/2014/12/31/world/middleeast/resolution-for-palestinian-state-fails-in-security-council.html?_r=0
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 16:25:30 +0000
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