November 29: The UN will vote to recognize Palestine as a "state."

[Direckshun]

Currently, Palestine is a non-member observer entity in the UN.

The Palestinians have pressed forth to introduce a measure to upgrade them in the UN's eyes to a non-member observer state.

While being upgraded from non-member observer entity to non-member observer state doesn't sound like much, it does provide Palestine an opportunity to actually contribute and perform within the UN.

Most damning, of course, is that it would tell Israel and the United States that their treatment of Palestine is tantamount to suppression of what should be a legitimate, free country. An act bordering on apartheid, which the ICC (run by the UN, which could soon include Palestine) as "inhuman acts committed for the purpose of establishing and maintaining domination by one racial group of persons over any other racial group of persons and systematically oppressing them." I don't regard that as a possibility.

But essentially, this has the ability to be a game changer in favor of two-state negotiations in favor of the Palestinian people, as opposed to the Likud/GOP alliance, which does not want any such two-state solution. All the facts on the ground right now favor Israel, as they expand their land, take more of the Palestinian land, and pretend with each passing year that the '67 borders with agreed-upon land swaps is some crime against Israel's humanity.

The only real arrow in Palestine's quiver is international opinion. And this particular vote in the UN cannot be unilaterally shot down by the United States, so it is sure to be voted on, and sure to be passed by roughly 75% of the UN.

As such, the United States and Israel are, understandably, freaking the **** out. The US is threatening to withdraw funding for much of the UN. Israel is threatening to discard the Oslo Accord, which allowed Palestine self-governance. This could potentially mean apartheid in everything but name.

So things are going to get really, really fascinating.

I ultimately think that Israel and the US' bark is worse than their bite. Obama prides himself on effective diplomacy which cannot happen if he's going to war with the UN. Israel's Netanyahu is far less concerned with international opinion, but doesn't want Israel to end up on the wrong side of the distinction between internationally frowned-upon to internationally despised. Though he may be heading that way anyway.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/201...rver-state-bid

Palestinians Defy Obama With UN ‘Observer State’ Bid
By Flavia Krause-Jackson
on November 08, 2012

Palestinians defied newly re-elected U.S. President Barack Obama by pushing ahead with a second statehood bid at the United Nations that will raise their profile at the world body and highlight the stagnation of the Mideast peace process.

The Palestinian Authority yesterday circulated a resolution to put the Palestine Liberation Organization on a par with the Holy See, according to a draft that will be put to a vote in the UN’s 193-member General Assembly, where the initiative has enough support to pass and the U.S. lacks veto power.

The latest steps by the Palestinians present Obama with his first foreign-policy challenge three days after he won a second term. A year ago, the Palestinians abandoned an attempt to be recognized as a full member state through the Security Council after Obama indicated the U.S. would use its veto there.

The PLO, which currently is an observer “entity,” is seeking a nonmember “observer state status,” according to the draft obtained by Bloomberg News.

By resurrecting the statehood issue in the General Assembly, the Palestinian leadership is trying to force the White House to pay attention to a moribund Palestinian-Israeli peace process that has dropped off the list of foreign-policy priorities for Obama.

In doing so, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is jeopardizing relations with Obama, as well as about $500 million in U.S. economic and security aid that members of Congress have threatened to cut if Palestinians proceed at the UN.

Issue Fades

The Palestinians have seen their cause fall into relative obscurity internationally since formal peace talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government were frozen two years ago.

Peace talks stumbled over the issue of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, which Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 Six-Day War. Abbas said he wouldn’t return to negotiations unless Israel froze all settlement construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem. Netanyahu has refused to renew a 10-month freeze on construction that expired in 2010.

Abbas will present the resolution in person in New York, according to a UN official speaking on condition of anonymity. A vote is expected to take place by the end of the month, the official said.

Still, the move isn’t without risks.

When the Palestinian Authority was accepted last year into the UN cultural agency UNESCO, best known for its designation of “world heritage” sites, the U.S. response was to cut off funding that provides almost a quarter of the agency’s budget.

The U.S. has said that American law would require similar cutoffs for any UN agency that grants the Palestinians the same status as member states.

International Criminal Court

The upgrade may open the door for Palestinians to join other UN agencies, including the International Criminal Court, where they could ask for Israel to be tried for war crimes.

“Israel’s main worry is the ICC,” Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erakat said in an Oct. 24 interview. “They don’t want me to have a sword on their neck.”

The initiative could also jeopardize international aid that accounts for about 14 percent of the Palestinians’ gross domestic product and invite retaliatory measures from Israel.

As for the U.S., the administration’s position hasn’t wavered. The U.S. ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, has said repeatedly that “unilateral actions,” such as the upgrade of the Palestinians’ UN status, would only derail efforts to restart direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

[HonestChieffan]

Originally Posted by Donger

Looks like Hillary threatened to send nudie pictures of herself to both sides.

The woman needs a hairdresser. Badly

[Nafman87]

Caese fire starts in a half hour. Meanwhile Hamas is using all the time they have left to bomb the shit out of us.

[HonestChieffan]

Originally Posted by Nafman87

Caese fire starts in a half hour. Meanwhile Hamas is using all the time they have left to bomb the shit out of us.

How long will it hold? Can they even be trusted at all? And will they send out more suicide bombers in the meantime?

[Nafman87]

No. They can't be trusted. This won't last long....

[HonestChieffan]

Originally Posted by Nafman87

No. They can't be trusted. This won't last long....

I hope you are wrong but I would bet you are correct.

[Nafman87]

The best part about it is Hamas will call this a victory for themselves saying " Israel didn't accomplish everything they wanted, so we win" happens every time.

[ForeverChiefs58]

Pretty easy to see which side is true evil, and which side is not. Deflecshun needs to take that blindfold off.


Rockets hold up aid for Gaza from Israel

TEL AVIV (Reuters) - Hamas rockets forced the closure of the main crossing point for humanitarian aid from Israel to Gaza on Tuesday, holding up the transfer of more than 100 truckloads of food and medical supplies including anesthetics, Israeli officials said.

Despite the fact its air force is bombarding the coastal enclave, Israel is trying to maintain the essential daily flow of basic foodstuffs into the Gaza Strip where most of 1.7 million Palestinians are dependent on aid.

A Twitter message from the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said that "120+ trucks of supplies from Israel are waiting at Gaza border crossing. Hamas is firing rockets at the crossing. Trucks can't enter now".

Israel says it launched its military offensive a week ago to halt increasing Islamist militant rocket fire on southern Israeli communities close to the Gaza Strip.

The Kerem Shalom crossing at the extreme south of the Israel-Gaza border, next to Egyptian territory, is the only freight passage into the blockaded territory.

No comment was available from Hamas. But a Palestinian liaison official said the crossing was closed after some mortar bombs landed at Kerem Shalom and work was suspended after just one hour of operations. The western-backed Palestinian Authority liaises with Israel on Kerem Shalom transfers.

For security reasons, it operates on a back-to-back system: trucks go in from Israel and offload within the protective concrete walls of the terminal, then trucks come in from the Gaza end and load up.

Since the start of the latest round of violence, now in its seventh day, Israel's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), says it has let in 123 trucks loaded with food, medicine and fuel, including 43 that passed on Tuesday before rockets started to fall.

The rest of the transfer included 16 truckloads of medical equipment "specifically vital equipment, such as medicines, anesthetics and disposable medical equipment", COGAT said.

The main Israeli fortified crossing-point at Erez was opened to permit the exit of 26 patients and their escorts into Israel in order to receive medical treatment, the authority added.

"While Israel is committed to providing continued assistance, it is subject to the limitations created by continuous rocket fire and attacks on the part of Hamas and other extremists groups in Gaza," COGAT said.

"Rocket attacks endanger the staff manning the crossing and often hinder or prevent the transfer of goods," it added.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) says 1.2 million Gazans rely on UNRWA assistance, which enters the territory via Israel.

"UNRWA will continue to provide food aid to more than 800,000 refugees in the Strip. Our schools are providing a place of safe shelter. Our health clinics remain open and ready to bring medical care to the children, the sick, and the elderly," the agency said in its latest update on the crisis.

In relatively normal times about 130 truckloads of aid -- mainly bulk staples -- go through the Kerem Shalom crossing daily.

http://news.yahoo.com/rockets-hold-a...124741272.html

[mlyonsd]

Originally Posted by Donger

Looks like Hillary threatened to send nudie pictures of herself to both sides.

I first read that as 'send nudie pictures of herself of both sides'. *shudder*

[mlyonsd]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

I do, yes. I think there are several things that would put peace on a faster track -- that would be one of them.

You understand that Hamas, therefore, won't do that.

If Hamas won't do that I doubt there is anything else the Palestinians could offer that would fast track the process.

The way I see it that is the key.

[Iowanian]

At some point, you have to wonder why Israel doesn't give blankets of small pox with their aid shipments..........

[Direckshun]

Originally Posted by mlyonsd

If Hamas won't do that I doubt there is anything else the Palestinians could offer that would fast track the process.

The Palestinians could vote out Hamas.

But they're not going to do it for no reason. From their perspective, there is currently no reason.

Let's give them a reason.

[Direckshun]

Welp, the 2012 impending Gaza war was averted.

Anybody want to tell me what was gained by Israel during this episode?

[HonestChieffan]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

Welp, the 2012 impending Gaza war was averted.

Anybody want to tell me what was gained by Israel during this episode?

Are they still getting blasted by Hamas?

[ForeverChiefs58]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

The Palestinians could vote out Hamas.

But they're not going to do it for no reason. From their perspective, there is currently no reason.

Let's give them a reason.

Give them a reason?

Are you for real?

I thought they wanted statehood so bad?

If that isn't reason enough then **** em. They are lucky to have anything at all.

Most people that continue to start war and lose, don't get anything back, let alone so much. Israel still delivers aid, gives tax money to the PA, and helps the very people who are sworn to their distruckshun.

Of course the other side wouldn't do that, they drag people through the srteets for even being friendly to a jew.

True Irony: The side that is sworn to the others destruction is the flag you have as your avatar, all while you try and argue why your side really just wants peace.

[ForeverChiefs58]

Originally Posted by HonestChieffan

Are they still getting blasted by Hamas?

Hamas still firing rockets. Yeah that lasted a long time. Meanwhile, Israel keeps showing restraint.

This isn't random. Hamas is wanting to get a response from Israel that kills their citizens. It is why they shoot from schools, mosques, hospitals, houses full of children etc. Even though the blame should fall at the feet of the palesinians, because this is what they want.

So when Israel does respond they can show pictures of people dead and so people feel sorry for them and agree to their demands. This is what they are trying to do before the upcoming vote.

Hopefully, it will backfire and turn against the terrorist supporting assholes.

I think if Israel wants the support of some of the more libral european countries they will hold off on an invasion.