U.N. Grants Provisional Palestine Statehood

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright Dec. 1, 2012
All Rights Reserved.                                         

       Voting to approve Palestine for statehood Nov. 30, 138 of the 193-members of the United Nations upgraded Palestine’s “observer status” to “non-member state,” the same designation given the Vatican.   While largely symbolic, the U.N. granted Mahmoud Abbas’ Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority its long overdue “birth certificate,” mucking up peace even more than Hamas’ recent shooting war with Israel, where the State Department-labeled terror organization fired more than a 1,000 missiles into the Jewish State.  Considered long over, since the death of Palestine Liberation Organization founder Yasser Arafat Nov. 11, 2004, the plan for an independent Palestinian state was sidetracked when Hamas seized the Gaza Strip by force June 14, 2007.  Unable to get on the same page, Hamas’ Gaza leader Ismail Haniyeh and Abbas haven’t been able to join forces for a shared destiny.

            Until and unless Hamas and the Palestinian Authority can find common ground, a Palestinian state is impossible.  Recognizing only Abbas’ Palestinian Authority splinters the Palestinian state into two parts.  Since Hamas refuses to make peace with Israel, they can never join Abbas’ efforts for a two-state solution.  While Palestinians celebrated in Ramallah and Gaza the U.N.’s recognition, neither side has anything to celebrate about until they join forces under one political roof.  No matter how much sympathy the U.N. has for Palestinians, they can’t force Hamas and the PLO to reconcile their relationship.  Calling the vote to recognize Palestine “unfortunate and countrerproductive,” Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton expressed dismay over the U.N. short-circuiting direct peace talks between Israel and Palestinians.  Hillary knows that talks with Abbas can’t take place without Hamas.

            Accusing Israel of  “aggressive politics and the perpetuation of war crimes,” Abbas sounded belligerent accepting the U.N’s new recognition.  Abbas mentions nothing about Hamas shooting missiles into Israel, only Israel’s “war crimes,” stemming from its 1948 statehood.  Despite all past attempts at peacemaking, including former President Jimmy Carter’s 1978 Camp David Accords, Abbas still speaks with the same tone as Hamas.  “The General Assembly is called upon today to issue a birth certificate of the reality of the State of Palestine,” said Abbas, ignoring his real problem of reconciling with Hamas.  Calling Abbas’ remarks “false propaganda,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cautioned the U.N. to not ignore Abbas’ problem with Gaza’s Hamas regime.  No peace process with Israel can occur unless Abbas regains control over Gaza.

            Abbas’ hostile words toward Israel are designed to show Hamas he’s on the same page yet Hamas has no plans of surrendering power.  “As long a the Israelis are not committing atrocities, are not building settlements, are not violating international law, then we don’t see any reason to go anywhere,” said Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki [no relation to Iraq’s Nouri al-Maliki], referring to threats to take the Palestinian case to the International Criminal Court at the Hague.  While Abbas and al-Maliki claim that Israel continues to build settlements on Palestinian land, they forget that Gaza and the West Bank are Israeli spoils of the 1967 Six-Day War.  Before the 1967 war, Palestinians had no legal claim to any territory in the Middle East, especially previously sovereign territory of Egypt and Jordan.  Palestinians often point to Israel as the trespasser, when, in fact, they occupy Israeli spoils.

            Granting the title of “non-member observer state,” the U.N. doesn’t give Palestine membership, only enables Palestinians to go to the ICC should they feel wronged by Israel.  “I fear the Palestinian Authority will now be able to use the United Nations as a political club against Israel,” said U.S. Sen. Lindsay Graham (R.S.C.), urging Palestinians to begin negotiating with Israel on a comprehensive peace treaty.  Showing her support for Israel, U.N. Amb. Susan Rice said little would change for Palestinians unless they get serious about a peace deal.  “The Palestinian people will wake up tomorrow and find that little about their lives has changed save that the prospects of a durable peace have only receded,” said Rice, echoing the view of Graham that unilateral declarations of statehood are counterproductive.  Rice hopes Hamas stops firing rockets and reconciles with Abbas.

            Making threats against Israel does little to help the peace process.  “I hope there will be no punitive measures,” said Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, saying nothing about what Palestinians need to do to resolve differences with Hamas.  British U.N. Amb. Mark Lyall hoped that Obama would make a new push for Middle East peace.  Lyall knows that there’s little Barack can do to reconcile differences between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.  “We believe the window for the two-state solution is closing,” said Lyall, urging Obama to push both sides to the table.  While Britain, who gave Israel the British mandate of Palestine in 1948, would like peace, they know that Palestinians must get their act together.  No peace deal can be signed with only half the Palestinian people.  Fighting domestic battles at home, it’s doubtful Obama can pull a rabbit out of his hat.

 John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.  He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com.and author of Dodging the Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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