The United States vetoed Friday a U.N. Security Council resolution that would have declared Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said that while the United States agrees about "the folly and illegitimacy of continued Israeli settlement activity, we think it unwise for this council to attempt to resolve the core issues that divide Israelis and Palestinians."
The veto is the first to be used under the Obama administration.
UNSC Resolution 242, which emphasized the "inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war", was adopted unanimously by the UN Security Council on November 22, 1967. How many Palestinian homes have been demolished since 1967? How much Palestinian land has Israel annexed since 1967? How long did it take the US to vote yes on the UNSC resolution that condemned Iraq's invasion of Kuwait? How long did it take the US to use that UNSC resolution to go to war and bomb the Shiite out of Iraq and force Iraqi forces out of Kuwait?
5 comments :
It is not inadmissable to gain territory in a war of self-defense. If state A is attacked by state B, and wins the war, state A can keep territory as a buffer against further attacks. Israel has the legal right to the West Bank.
Most Israelis would be happy to hand over the WB to the Arabs provided they could be certain they would not be attacked. When Israel handed over Gaza, they were attacked with a steady stream of missiles. They don't want to risk missiles from the WB.
A minority of Israelis believe the WB is part of Israel and should be settled. Another minority strongly disagrees. So far as I can tell, most Israelis are uncertain about the whole thing and just want peace.
Read some Israeli blogs and you will see a wide variety of views.
The US public does not need to believe anything, the Arabs need to recognize the state of Israel and decide that living in peace is better than a constant state of war, which unfortunately is only hurting themselves. When that happens, there will be no need for UN resolutions at all.
That line is getting old Atlanta. There are no suicide bombers targeting Israeli cafes. Abbas has done everything in his power to maintain the peace. And Hamas does what it can to prevent rocket attacks from Gaza. Israel should have seized the opportunity for a lasting peace. Instead, they redouble their settlement efforts. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
I've always supported Israel. But, I won't support oppression, here or abroad. It's not right that it can take a Palestinian 8 hours to get to a hospital, because of one stupid roadblock after another. Not when an Israeli can make the same trip in 20 minutes. And that's on the West Bank!
Israel is doing a number of things that just aren't right. Things that don't square with American values. Things we should be speaking up about. Unequivocal, unquestioned, 100% support, come hell or high water, just don't cut the mustard anymore.
Thanks Maury for that comment.
"Read some Israeli blogs and you will see a wide variety of views."
Yes Don, I know that Israeli opinions vary widely.
The way things are going, Israel will have the West Bank, and eventually even Americans will begin to ask how can we be supporting a country that has annexed Arab land without giving the inhabitants of that land the right to vote in the country's elections, the rights that Jews have in Israel. Unless Israel expels the majority of those inhabitants, and Americans might question that too. Eventually.
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