By David Singer ——Bio and Archives--December 5, 2012
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" the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and to independence in their State of Palestine on the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967;"Such majority consensus supporting the view that all of this territory - not just some part of it - should comprise the State of Palestine - is destined to cause untold suffering among Jews, Arabs and other States caught up in the ensuing turmoil and conflict that is set to follow the passing of this insidious resolution - unless it is quickly reversed. There are several reasons to justify this gloomy prediction.
"We have frankly said, and always will say: If there is an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, we won’t agree to the presence of one Israeli in it,”Supporting the current Resolution without seeking a specific retraction has effectively given Abbas the green light to pursue his racist policy. Secondly - there is no mention in the Resolution of the recognition of the right of the Jewish people to self- determination and independence in their own State - and for good reason - since President Abbas is not prepared to countenance a Jewish State alongside the State of Palestine. He has made this position manifestly clear on many occasions. On 1 December 2007 he declared:
"Historically there are two states, Israel and Palestine. Israel is inhabited by Jews and others. We are willing to recognize that and nothing else."His view was supported by his Prime Minister - Salam Fayad - who said in an interview at the time with Al-Arabiya TV, that:
"Israel can call itself whatever it wants, but the Palestinians will not recognize it as a Jewish state."On 28 August 2011 during a speech to Islamic clerics in Ramallah Abbas defiantly stated:
"The international community cannot force us to recognize the nature of the Israeli state. Do not force us to recognize a Jewish state. We will not accept it."His statement provoked Israel's Foreign Minister Liebermann to declare:
"Countries around the world must make it clear to Abbas that the only way the Palestinians will be able to have a state is by stopping their attempt to destroy the only Jewish state in the world,"Those countries around the world had their opportunity force Abbas to recognise the Jewish State before casting their votes - yet failed to do so. Thirdly - this infamous Resolution negates the decision of the very same General Assembly in 1947 recommending the creation of one Arab State and one Jewish State in Palestine. Indeed the refusal to recognize Israel as the Jewish State has been one of the principal stumbling blocks to the successful conclusion of negotiations under the Oslo Accords and the Bush Roadmap. The majority vote has - deliberately or unwittingly - given oxygen to those who continue to deny the right of the Jews to have their own State - 65 years after the United Nations had first recommended it. Fourthly - this Resolution makes a mockery of the United Nations Charter which aims: "To maintain international peace and security, and to that end: to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace, and to bring about by peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and international law, adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of the peace;" How any member State can believe these objectives can be advanced by supporting a resolution that will result in:
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David Singer is an Australian Lawyer, a Foundation Member of the International Analyst Network and Convenor of Jordan is Palestine International—an organization calling for sovereignty of the West Bank and Gaza to be allocated between Israel and Jordan as the two successor States to the Mandate for Palestine. Previous articles written by him can be found at: jordanispalestine.blogspot.com