Monday, April 22, 2024

Palestine - The UN created the problem without prior consultation of the inhabitants, causing the refugee problem since 1947, and now still denies Palestine UN membership?

Malaysia need be careful - and demand that Israel return to the !947 borders - not the post 1967 borders..

Israel did not exist, and all we had was the Palestinian region with the Palestinian people who were primarily Muslim, Christians and Jews who lived peacefully.

Then, there was a movement of basically overseas Jews that was pushing for a nation state of the own for the Jewish people, which they called 'Israel'. At that time, the Palestinian region was under the British Colony. 

After WW2, where the Nazi Germany targeted the Jews, Roma people and others, the UK pushed harder for the establishment of the Jewish State of Israel.

Interestingly, the UN got into the picture and a UN Resolution(Resolution 181) was passed for the establishment of the Jewish State of Israel, an Arab Muslim State of Palestine and an independently governed Jerusalem.

The United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine was a proposal by the United Nations, which recommended a partition of Mandatory Palestine at the end of the British Mandate. On 29 November 1947, the UN General Assembly adopted the Plan as Resolution 181 (II).[1]

The resolution recommended the creation of independent Arab and Jewish States linked economically[2] and a Special International Regime for the city of Jerusalem and its surroundings. The Arab state was to have a territory of 11,100 square kilometres or 42%, the Jewish state a territory of 14,100 square kilometres or 56%, while the remaining 2%—comprising the cities of Jerusalem, Bethlehem and the adjoning area—would become an international zone.[3][4]


On May 14, 1948, David Ben-Gurion, the head of the Jewish Agency, proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel. U.S. President Harry S. Truman recognized the new nation on the same day.

Israel was admitted as a full U.N. member in 1949. However, the Palestinian application that has been made over the decades have continuously been denied. The latest was on 18/4/2024.

'The Security Council today blocked Palestine’s bid to become a full member of the United Nations due to a United States veto on a draft resolution that would have recommended the granting of such status.

The proposal, submitted by Algeria, received 12 votes in favour, with the United States casting a negative vote and Switzerland and the United Kingdom abstaining.  A Council resolution requires at least nine votes in favour and no vetoes from its five permanent members — China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States — to pass.- UN Website

12 of the 15 members of the UN Security Council voted in favour - but with the draconian VETO, one of the 5 Countries that hold the VETO can deny the majority decision. Time for the VETO to be abolished. 

 

If one looks at the UN agreed division of the region, we find that many of the current maps is misleading - the size of Palestine has been shrinked, which is not right. See how Gaza has shrank - Palestine was supposed to be much larger - and if you look at the UN approved map - Gaza and West Bank are connected by land of its own.

Malaysia must be clear and  push for the withdrawal of Israel back to its borders as per the plan approved by the UN in the Plan as per  Resolution 181. Do not be fooled by the plans being 'propagated' by some that has increased substantially the area of Israel and diminished the size of Palestine. 

INJUSTICE that followed UN Resolution 181 - was the creation of the Palestinian Refugee problem.

When they created ISRAEL - there was massive 'cleaning up' of the native Arab or Muslim inhabitants from Israel. 

[REMEMBER The people indigenous inhabitants of the region were never consulted before the UN decided to draw borders and create Israel and Palestine. It was thus sad that people staying in the area for generations found themselves being pressured to leave what became Israel simply because they were NOT JEWS.]

In 1948 more than 700000 Palestinian Arabs – about half of Mandatory Palestine's Arab population – fled from their homes or were expelled, at first by Zionist paramilitaries,[a] and after the establishment of the Israel, by its military.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] The expulsion and flight was a central component of the fracturing, dispossession, and displacement of Palestinian society, known as the Nakba.[10][11][12] Dozens of massacres targeting Arabs were conducted by Israeli military forces and between 400 and 600 Palestinian villages were destroyed. Village wells were poisoned in a biological warfare programme and properties were looted to prevent Palestinian refugees from returning.[13][14] Other sites were subject to Hebraization of Palestinian place names.[15] The precise number of Palestinian refugees, many of whom settled in Palestinian refugee camps in neighboring states, is a matter of dispute.[16] Around 80 percent of the Arab inhabitants of what became Israel (half of the Arab total population of Mandatory Palestine) left or were expelled from their homes

ETHNIC CLEANSING or 'GENOCIDE' would be what we call this today, and it was great injustice, and blame will lie not just on Israel, but certainly the UN. Did they not consider this problem - could they have insisted on no 'expulsion' of people from their homes.  

The Palestinian REFUGEE came into being, and only then since 1947 have the UN realized the problem created by the UN's own fault, when they created Israel and Palestine in a place where the community was multi-ethnic and multi-religious. {Something similar happened when India was divided into Muslim Pakistan and India). 

Israel got its own country - but they have been expanding and expanding their borders to the detriment of the Palestine people.

Did all the Palestinian Jews move to the new Israel - well, many continued to live where they were with their Muslim and Christian brethren.

Now, the people of Israel are not all indigenous Jews, as many of the Jews in Israel are migrants from many other countries - including those in the Zionist Movement, and they have dominated the political power in Israel.

Israel at present is OCCUPYING (or colonizing) a lot of Palestine - and their object seems 'expansion' of Israel - as such, pressure have been put on indigenous Palestinians to move out, as they build even new settlements for Israeli Jews in what we call Occupied Territory..

There has been those who are promoting the 1967 Borders of Israel, including the US > BUT really should we not be talking about the 1947 UN Resolution borders that decided on the Borders of Israel, Borders of Palestine, and the Borders of the Independent Jerusalem.

Malaysia must be strong about the 1947 Borders as per the partition plan of the UN. I do not believe that any UN Resolution has acknowledged that Israel's Borders have expanded.

Whilst Israel had been made a UN member State since 1949 - but the Palestine has to date been denied UN Membership..

On 11 May 1949, the General Assembly by the requisite two-thirds majority approved the application to admit Israel to the UN by United Nations General Assembly Resolution 273. The vote in the General Assembly was 37 to 12, with 9 abstentions.
UN Membership acknowledged the State of Palestine and this is important.

But again, the passing of the UN Security Council on 18/4/2024 was blocked by the United States of America(a permanent member with VETO power). It must be noted that 12 of the 15 members of the UN Security Council voted in favour.

If the UN Security Council had passed the Resolution, the the question of Palestine recognition as a UN Member State will be taken to the General Assembly, where a two third majority vote is required.

1947 Borders is valid as all neighboring countries like Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon had already achieved their independence before the UN Partition Plan and Resolution 29/11/1947. Hence the then borders of Israel, Palestine and Jerusalem is valid - and rightly, we have to revert to the borders as in 1947. All areas of Palestine that are occupied by Israel and any other country are nothing but 'occupied territories' and must be returned to Palestine.  

Lebanon formally achieved its independence from League of Nations (LON) mandate under French administration on November 22, 1943.  Egypt formally achieved its independence from Great Britain on March 15, 1922. Transjordan formally achieved its independence from Britain on March 22, 1946, and the Kingdom of Transjordan was proclaimed on May 25, 1946.Syria became independent on 17 April 1946.

Israel's expansion of its geographic territory beyond what was provided for in the November 1947 partition plan are all ILLEGAL and ought to belong to Palestine. ISRAEL must return to the 1947 Borders.

US vetoes bid to make Palestine a full UN member

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By AUGUSTA SARAIVA
  • World

  • Friday, 19 Apr 2024

NEW YORK (Bloomberg): The United States has vetoed a bid to make Palestine a full-fledged member of the United Nations, rebuffing a Palestinian push to gain broader international recognition.

Twelve of 15 Security Council members voted in favour of the proposal on Thursday (April 18), while the United Kingdom and Switzerland abstained. Although the Palestinian authority received enough support to have its bid referred to the General Assembly for confirmation, the negative vote from the United States, which wields veto power, was enough to block it.

Arab nations revived the proposal for full membership, which was originally turned down in 2011, in an effort to maintain momentum for the Palestinian cause as the civilian death toll in the war between Israel and Iran-backed Hamas in the Gaza Strip continues to climb. Foreign ministers from countries including Iran, Jordan and Algeria travelled to New York to attend a debate on the Middle East that preceded the vote.

The best path toward Palestinian statehood "is through direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority," Deputy US Ambassador Robert Wood said after the vote.

United States allies including France, Japan and South Korea were among those voting for full Palestinian membership.

The US veto, which was telegraphed in advance, comes as an olive branch to Israel at the United Nations after Washington refused to veto a Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, sparking friction between the allies. Since then, the United States has grown more critical of Israel's approach to the war while continuing to support it on the battlefield.

Even as the US veto reaffirms the close relationship between the two allies, it's also likely to further isolate them at the United Nations. For the fourth time since the war started, the United States will have to justify its veto before the 193-member General Assembly – which is much more vocal on the rights of Palestinians, and critical of Israel's policies, than it was in 2011. The General Assembly, which is more representative but less powerful than the Security Council, voted overwhelmingly in favour of a cease-fire in Gaza months ago.

Since 2012, Palestine has had observer-state status at the United Nations.

'Every Vote'

Israel's Ambassador Gilad Erdan said that recognising a Palestinian state would make future negotiations all but impossible. "As long as the Palestinians feel that they can exploit this politicised body to their benefit, why would they bother at the negotiating table or support any compromise?" he said.

But Ziad Abu Amr, special representative of the Palestinian Authority's president, said, "To those who say that recognising the Palestinian state must happen through negotiations, and not through a UN resolution, we wonder once again: How was the state of Israel established?"

While the US veto was widely expected, Palestinians also looked at the vote as a barometer to assess international support for their cause. "The states supporting our membership are taking an important stance that must be acknowledged and appreciated," Deputy Palestinian Ambassador Majed Bamya said ahead of the Security Council action.

Looking ahead, France is working on a Security Council resolution on the Israel-Palestinian conflict that could pave the way for the recognition of a Palestinian state at the United Nations, noting that a majority of member states already recognise it as a country. Nations including Spain and Slovenia have also indicated they're preparing to recognise a Palestinian state.

"We cannot wait any longer," Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told the Security Council Thursday.

"This is a question of justice for Palestine, it constitutes the best guarantee of security for Israel and it is the first and most fundamental condition for the future of peace in the region." – Bloomberg - Star, 19/4/2024


Security Council Fails to Recommend Full United Nations Membership for State of Palestine, Owing to Veto Cast by United States

The Security Council today blocked Palestine’s bid to become a full member of the United Nations due to a United States veto on a draft resolution that would have recommended the granting of such status.

The proposal, submitted by Algeria, received 12 votes in favour, with the United States casting a negative vote and Switzerland and the United Kingdom abstaining.  A Council resolution requires at least nine votes in favour and no vetoes from its five permanent members — China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States — to pass.  The Algerian draft failed, owing to a negative vote cast by a permanent member.

If adopted, the draft would have had the 15-member Council recommend to the 193-member General Assembly that “the State of Palestine be admitted to membership in the United Nations”. 

In 2011, Palestine submitted an application to become a full UN Member State.  Although that aspiration did not materialize, it obtained the status of a non-member observer State in November 2012 through an Assembly vote of 138 in favour to nine against (Canada, Czech Republic, Federated States of Micronesia, Israel, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Panama, Palau, United States), with 41 abstentions.

An application for admission to UN membership must be approved by the Council before being forwarded to the Assembly, where the matter requires at least two-thirds support to pass.

Introduction of Draft Resolution

Introducing the draft resolution, the representative of Algeria said that he is doing so on behalf of his Government, the Arab Group, the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation, the Non-Aligned Movement, and countless peace-loving countries, urging Council members to vote for the text and the sake of Palestinians.  “It is the least we could do to honour the debts we owe to its people,” he said. Palestine fulfils membership criteria as defined in the UN Charter.  “It is time for Palestine to take its rightful place among the community of nations,” he declared, adding:  “Peace will come from Palestine’s inclusion, not from its exclusion.”  Failing to do so is a denial of the Council’s responsibilities, an unforgivable mistake, and a license to continue injustice and impunity. 

Explanation of Votes

Speaking after the vote, the representative of the Russian Federation, spotlighted the simple question before the Council today: “Are the Palestinians worth being part of the global family?”  While most of the international community has consistently answered in the affirmative, the United States believes differently, he noted — namely, that the Palestinians “do not deserve to have their own State”.  For that reason, Washington, D.C., is ready to turn a blind eye to Israel’s crimes against civilians in Gaza, force them to submit to the occupying Power, transform them into servants and second-class persons and, perhaps, oust them from their territory once and for all.  The United States’ veto today “is a hopeless attempt to stop the inevitable course of history”, he stressed, adding that the results of the vote “speak for themselves”.  He therefore called on the United States to “listen to the voice of reason”, consider the consequences of its decision and join other Council members’ efforts to establish an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

The representative of the United States expressed support for Palestinian Statehood within a comprehensive peace agreement.  A sustainable peace can only be achieved via a two-State solution with Israel’s security guaranteed.  His country has long been clear that “premature actions” at the UN, even with the best intentions, will not achieve Statehood for the Palestinian people.  The United States voted against the draft because there was no unanimity among the Admissions Committee members on whether the applicant met the membership criteria outlined in Article IV of the UN Charter.  He said the United States has long called on the applicant to undertake reforms to help establish the attributes for readiness for Statehood.  He underscored that this vote does not reflect opposition to Palestinian Statehood but is an acknowledgment that it will only come from direct negotiations between the parties.

The representative of France said the time has come to achieve a comprehensive political settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on a two-State solution.  France supported the draft as Palestine’s admission as a full UN member could facilitate the implementation of such as solution and strengthen the Palestinian Authority.

The representative of Guyana said that 13 years after the last request, another call for justice by the Palestinian people was made today.  However, “the Council’s response was not enough to deliver that justice”, she said, noting that, since 1947, there have been at least 792 formal Council meetings on the Palestinian question.  While the Council has largely been sympathetic to the Palestinian cause, this sympathy has not generated enough political will to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting solution.  “If the occupying Power were held to account for its continued violation of international law, the path to a free and independent Palestine would have been cleared a long time ago”, she said.  

The representative of Slovenia said that his delegation supported the draft and Palestine’s membership in the United Nations.  The two-State solution, under which two democratic States — Israel and Palestine — live side by side in peace is the only long-term sustainable option.  Membership in the UN is not an alternative to negotiations, but complementary to them. The UN should play a crucial role in the peace process, and therefore both States should have an equal status at the UN, he said.

The representative of the Republic of Korea recalled that, although his country first applied for UN membership in 1949, it was not granted that status until 1991.  As such, he emphasized that his country “can clearly attest to the meaning of aspirations to be admitted to this paramount international organization”. His delegation voted in favour of the draft resolution because renewed efforts are needed to revitalize a path to the two-State solution, he said, adding that its vote today “does not constitute bilateral recognition of Palestine as a State”.  This matter will be considered in the future at a time conducive to the resolution of the conflict. 

The representative of the United Kingdom said her country is committed to a two-State solution.  Recognition of a Palestinian State should not be at the start of the process, but it does not need to be at the very end of it, she said.  She called for the crisis in Gaza to be fixed first, noting that Gaza must be part of a future Palestinian State.  But Hamas is still in control of parts of it and Israeli hostages remain in captivity, she underlined, stating that this shows the process is still at the start.  Ensuring Hamas is no longer in charge of Gaza and removing its capacity to attack Israel are unavoidable steps on the road to peace, as is supporting Palestinian Government reforms.  Her country abstained because a focus must be kept on getting aid in and getting hostages out, then making progress to a sustainable ceasefire without a return to fighting. 

The representative of Japan expressed regret that, despite the adoption of a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, this objective has not been attained, and the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate.  “Japan has strongly upheld the Palestinian right to self-determination, and consistently supported a two-State solution,” he said, recalling that his country voted in favor of the 2012 General Assembly resolution granting Palestine observer State status at the United Nations.  Similarly, Japan voted in favor of today’s draft resolution as “a comprehensive decision, recognizing that Palestine meets the criteria for admission to the UN membership”. 

The representative of Switzerland, whose delegation abstained, noted that it would be preferable to determine Palestinians’ membership at the UN at a future stage — “once there has been peace”.  Voicing concern over the catastrophic situation in the Middle East, she underscored the need to ensure the implementation of the Council’s resolution and a ceasefire without further ado to restore political solutions to the conflict.

The representative of China said that today is a sad day. Because of the veto by the United States, the application of Palestine for its full membership at the UN has been rejected.  It is unacceptable that some countries are challenging Palestine’s eligibility for membership.  Some countries make direct negotiations between Palestine and Israel “a prerequisite”, claiming that Palestine’s membership in the UN can only be the result of negotiations.  “This is putting the cart before the horse,” he asserted.

The representative of Ecuador recalled that his country recognized Palestine as a free, independent State on 24 December 2010.  In 2012, it co-sponsored the General Assembly resolution considering observer status for the State of Palestine and, since 2014, it has maintained an embassy in Ramallah while Palestine has one in Quito.  “Today, once again, Ecuador’s vote has shown our commitment to the Palestinian people, reaffirming our recognition that we made 14 years ago,” he emphasized.  He also expressed hope that, in the “very near” future, conditions will exist such that the Council will unanimously allow Palestine to become a full member of the United Nations.

The representative of Mozambique underscored that people are born with the inherent right to self-determination, independence and sovereignty, as anchored in the Charter.  He reminded the Council that, as of today, 140 UN Member States have recognized Palestine.  “This quasi-universal recognition is a testament that Palestine fulfils the requirement of Statehood”, including population, territory, government and the capacity to engage in relations with other States, he said.  Conditions are ripe for Palestine to be a full member of the UN.  Palestine is clearly a peace-loving nation and has shown the willingness to carry out the obligations of the Charter, he added.

The representative of Sierra Leone noted that 13 years after Palestine’s application was first considered by the Security Council Admissions Committee, there is a recognition of the basis for such a request.  Highlighting General Assembly resolution 181 (1947), which recommends the establishment of an independent Arab and an independent Jewish State, he said his country voted in favour of the draft resolution that would have strengthened the two-State solution.  While the membership of the State of Palestine may have been delayed, “it cannot be denied”, he concluded.

The representative of Algeria expressed gratitude to all those who voted in favour.  “The overwhelming support sends a crystal clear message — the State of Palestine deserves its rightful place among the UN Members,” he said, adding:  “We will return stronger and more vocal and backed by the overwhelming majority of the General Assembly”.  He pledged that Algeria’s effort will not cease until the State of Palestine becomes a full member of the UN.

The representative of Malta, Council President for April, said that her country made a clear choice by supporting a two-State solution and in favour of an idea that has enjoyed the support of the vast majority of the international community for decades.  “UN membership is a necessary step for the Palestinians to achieve equal footing with the rest of the international community,” she asserted.

The Permanent Observer for the State of Palestine underscored:  “Our right to self-determination has never once been subject to bargaining or negotiation.”  It is inalienable and eternal, and not subject to manipulation, domination or conditions.  “Especially not by Israel — the occupying Power, the ethnic-cleansing Power, the colonial Power,” he stressed, despite its determination to evict Palestinians from their homeland, eliminate their identity, uproot their civilization and besiege their future.  Underscoring that “we will not disappear”, he said that Palestinians remain on their land out of patience, steadfastness, hope and sacrifice despite oppression, exile, enslavement, persecution, displacement and eviction.  Stating that his delegation came to the Council today to “salvage what can be saved”, he noted that most Council members stood on the side of justice, freedom and hope “in line with the legal and ethical principles that must govern our world”.  He also thanked all those who supported Palestine’s request for UN membership for understanding Palestinians’ pain at this moment. 

Emphasizing that Palestine accepted the two-State solution as an international vision of peace and engaged in the peace process, he said that Palestinian leadership continues to be committed to this peaceful track.  He questioned, however, if Israel is a true partner for peace, stressing that it insists on occupation, murder and siege “to snuff out any hope of a sovereign Palestinian State”.  Asking those present if they will give Israel the time it needs to annex Palestinian land, the immunity it needs to evict and kill and the right to veto Palestine’s full UN membership, he underscored that such inclusion is not “symbolic”.  Rather, it is a manifestation of Palestinians’ right to self-determination and “an investment in peace”, he urged, adding:  “We don’t want to replace anyone, we want to enter your club as an equal.”  Also stating that Palestinians know best what a just solution is — a free Palestine — he reiterated:  “We will not disappear.” 

The representative of Israel thanked the United States, in particular President Joseph Biden, for standing up for “truth and morality in the face of hypocrisy and politics”.  Calling the draft resolution destructive, he said the Palestinian Authority does not meet the basic criteria, has no authority over its territory and supports terror.  He questioned how Palestinians can be called peace-loving when they are paying terrorists to slaughter Israelis.  None of their leaders condemns terrorism or the 7 October massacre.  They call Hamas their brothers, he added, and they do not recognize Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish State.  He noted that the Palestinian representative at the meeting does not represent Hamas, and in turn does not represent at least half of the Palestinian people.

 “Most of you decided to reward Palestinian terror with [a] Palestinian State,” he said, saying these votes will embolden Palestinian rejectionism and make peace almost impossible.  Despite the evidence he has brought to the Council, speaking to it “is like speaking to a brick wall”, he said, adding:  “I pray that the day will come when you will understand the magnitude of the mistake you are making here.  I pray that you will understand before it is too late.” - UN Website, 18/4/2024

 

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