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Jeff Halper is active in the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions http://icahd.org/ Jeff Halper6 hrs ยท Wow, a Christmas present from the UN! 14 of the 15 members of the Security Council passed a pretty strong resolution against settlement construction -- and against the demolition of Palestinian homes. The US was the odd-man out as usual, but at least it abstained, thus allowing the resolution to pass.The vote has no immediate repercussions. It doesn't contain sanctions on Israel for ignoring and violating it -- which the Israeli government has already says it will. The only genuinely effective way to end settlement construction and all other Israeli attempts to make the Occupation permanent is to enforce the the Geneva Convention, which would dismantle Israeli settlements. But that won't happen (the US is DEFINITELY against that). So the UN Resolution is symbolic -- strongly symbolic, perhaps paving the way for appeals to international courts and certainly affecting public opinion -- but it will not end the political reality that the two-state solution is dead and gone (Trump will only bury it officially, which will serve the useful purpose of clearing the air so we can get on with finding a REAL solution).More than anything, the UN Resolution points up the fundamental flaw and failing of us, Palestinians and Israelis who seek a truly just peace. The UN vote shows how much support for Palestinian have. Russia (despite its closeness to Israel and Trump), the UK (despite its extreme right-wing government), China (despite its growing military ties to Israel), Spain, Senegal and Angola (despite Netanyahu's courting of African countries, using military arms as inducements), Japan and others -- they all all voted for the resolution. So, too, did Egypt in the end, Israeli and Trump pressures notwithstanding. And the US abstained. Israel has already accused Obama of "collusion" and "abandoning it. Apparently giving Israel $40 billion in military aid over the next 10 years is not enough to prove "loyalty."The vote shows how mobilizable the international community is in support of the Palestinians, and in fact how weak Israel's position is. Yet it also shows how impotent and "symbolic" that support is without an end-game to give it direction and teeth.This is a setback for Israel, to be sure, but governments will not come up with a JUST solution. Human rights, international law, justice -- these are values they support in symbolic resolutions like that of the Security Council, but they are certainly not the bases of foreign policy. (Jimmy Carter got laughed out of office and is still a persona non-grata in the Democratic Party because he tried to introduce human rights into American foreign policy). Governments will only manage conflicts, usually to the benefit of the strong side, like Israel. If we, the people, civil society, led by Palestinians and Israeli stakeholders, want a genuine and just solution, we have to decide what it is. People and governments are mobilizable, that is clear from yesterday's vote. But they will not move to actually end the Occupation and achieve a just peace unless we, Palestinians and their Israeli partners, lead the way.This is our wake-up call. We can win, but we have to be smart, strategic and pro-active. Yala! See: http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.761049 See also Netanyahu Cancels Ukrainian PM's Visit to Israel Over Security Council Vote The decision was made in light of Ukraine's vote in favor of a resolution condemning Israeli settlements, senior official says. read more: http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.761122 _________________________________________________________ Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm Set your options at: http://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
