Israel 'satisfied' as Palestinian UN resolution fails
"Every Israeli who wants peace with our neighbours can only be satisfied with the results of this vote," deputy foreign minister Tzahi HaNegbi told public radio several hours after the resolution failed to pass within the 15-member council.
"This deals a blow to efforts by (Palestinian president) Mahmud Abbas to embarrass and isolate us," said HaNegbi, a close associate of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Eight countries voted in favour, among them three of the council's five permanent members - China, France and Russia - but the resolution fell short of winning the nine "yes" votes necessary for adoption in the 15-member council.
Australia and the United States voted against, and five other countries abstained, including Britain.
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Palestinian attempts to secure their long-awaited state through "unilateral" moves at the United Nations would never achieve anything.
"The failure of the Palestinian vote at the Security Council should teach the Palestinians that provocations and attempts to force Israel into unilateral processes will not achieve them anything - quite the opposite," he said in a statement.
He denounced the countries which backed the resolution, particularly "some European states". Tiny Luxembourg joined France in voting for the text.
Lieberman said any state which wanted to see an end to the decades-old Middle East conflict "must act with responsibility and make clear to the Palestinians that decisions can only be taken around the negotiating table."
Public radio said although Israel had narrowly avoided a fiasco, it was only "a short-term victory" which would not halt international pressure for a peace deal with the Palestinians.
The Palestinians have warned that if the resolution failed, they would seek to join a number of international organisations including the International Criminal Court, where they could sue Israeli officials for war crimes.
COMMENTS (4)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
1725612926-0/Tribune-Pic-(8)1725612926-0-165x106.webp "article")
Anyone stop to wonder what a Palestinian State would look like as things stand today? No central leadership, neither Hamas or Fatah can provide basic services to their people without active assistance from Israel, and what happens when this "State" launches rockets into Israel? Nobody wants to look at the obvious - Palestine would be Failed State from Day 1 and no UN resolution can change that. Statehood is a distraction used by Hamas, Fatah and Arab leaders to avoid addressing their own issues. It's time for Palestine to fix their internal issues - that a prerequisite to making peace with Israel and achieving a bona-fide State.
Mahmud Abbas and Saeb Arakat are the biggest obstacles to Palestinians independence! Why blame the Americans or the Israelites, who have remained adamant to retaining the palestinian land for the American jews, knowing fully well that they will never have peace with security nor playing the role of a victim will suppress the growing rise of anti-semit in Europe.
Rex Minor
@raw is war: Actually, the land was always called Palestine in recorded history since Roman times. Even in Jewish historical sources the land was never called Israel. The area was ruled in several parts by various tribes of Israel and non Jewish tribes. Even during the peak of Israeli tribal rules the state named Israel did not exist. It was generally called Judea to refer to the ethnic religious people of the land. various other religious and ethnic sects lived on that land up until roman destruction of Jerusalem.
Many countries existed and did not exist during and after WW II in the map but the people of the land existed where they are. The sin of WWII was recognizing the religious basis as valid reason for border and the birth of state of Israel was no more different than the birth of Pakistan.
Past cannot be undone but future can be shaped.
The issues of the Palestine -Israeli quagmire of present time are: 1: Borders - not sure how they can define it in a small land spread on two directions that has no natural barrier 2: trade ports- difficult to negotiate 3: military security - Basically Iran recognizing Israel.
Both Isarel and Palestinian organizations are at fault. Israel failure is in preventing settlements and Palestinian fault is lack of consensus in ruling rivalry.
Neither Israel nor Palestine can live in isolation from each other and from others.
Remember all conflicts are due to money ( trade, tax, revenue sharing, and hence control for the region ) : no exception in history.
The present Israel -Palestine conflicts is about money in broad picture and settlements, border and revenue sharing, are all small strokes of that big picture.
A federal statehood with equal voice in federation and autonomy in state rule is an ideal solution from outsider point of view for Palestinian Israel conflict. But the age old religious and ethnic rivalry aided by the present climate of middle east will not allow any one to see the big picture.
Hence, status quo and world will be divided in two blocks: for or against Palestine or it can be also said with same meaning: For or against Israel.
Nearly Everyone including Palestinian are for Israel. Similarly, everyone including Israelis are for Palestine statehood.
The only question is HOW? When is irrelevant. The present drama in UN is on the question of when without knowing how?
India and Pakistan agreed on how long before the august of 1947. Such is not the case here and hence the perpetual conflict spanning three generations.
Palestine never existed in history. Why such a hullabaloo? I am sure Arabs are have better future under Israel.