By ARTHUR L. ALLAD-IW
www.nordis.net

The move by powerful states to block the Palestinian bid for statehood and full membership to the United Nations showed the unjust and unfair treatment towards the Palestinians. Particularly the moves by the United States of America and United Kingdom continue to perpetuate injustice to the Palestinian people. The US took a stand that it will veto in the UN Security Council any Palestinian statehood resolution.

Both the UK and UN claimed that peace for Palestine and Israel will be achieved through Palestine and Israel’s negotiation. UK’s Tony Blaire warns on the UN bid by Palestine: “You can pass whatever resolution you like at the United Nations, or at the Security Council and it doesn’t actually deliver you a state. And if you don’t have negotiation, whatever you do at the UN is going to be confrontational.”

This move by the US and UK shows that they do not like true peace in the Middle East and that any effort to address the Palestinian statehood and on peace at the UN can be trampled by these two powerful states. Palestine possesses all the requirements to be recognized as a state. That is loud and clear.

In understanding the Palestinian bid and the unpeace in the Middle East, history must be reviewed and appreciated.

Prior to the World War I and II, the oppressed Jews from Europe moved to old Palestine, which included today’s Palestine and that occupied by Israel. The British, who had controlled that area, gave way to Zionism or the claim by the Jews that they have a promised land in that area. The British divided the old Palestine into two: one for the Jews and one for the Arab Palestinian.

After World War II, the British partition of Palestine was reiterated by the UN General Assembly Resolution 181 approved on November 29, 1947. The resolution divided Palestine into Jewish and Arab Palestinian states, and creating a special international zone for the Jerusalem area. The UN resolution was unacceptable to the Palestinian and the Jews embraced it as it was patterned by their powerful allies in UN for them (Israel). On May 14, 1948, Israel declared its independence. The Arab states declared war against Israel which won the war due to the support from UK and its powerful allies. On May 11, 1949, Israel was accepted as a member of the UN.

The historical development showed how the imperialist states like the UK, US and their allies exploited the situation in the Middle East and perpetuated their economic interests there. Aside from their strong military presence in that region, they utilized the military and expansionist policies of Israel by supporting them. Israel neither confirm or deny the support from these imperialist states but that had been going on for decades. Hence the tiny state of Israel is powerful in that region – militarily.

The US and UK particularly do not want real peace in that region. They wanted their peace design where Israel, their ally, will rule that area (in the guise of peace), to ensure their economic interests. US and UK are among those that have great oil interests in that area. This explains why US and UK insist that Palestine statehood and peace in the region will be achieved by its (Palestine) negotiation with Israel and they hard headedly insist that it cannot be achieved via the UN.

US President Obama said that a Palestinian state can only be granted out of negotiations with Israelis. And what is ironic, when Israel applied to the UN for statehood, the US and its allies did not require that Palestinians agree to it. These imperialists rhetorically backs pro-democracy demonstrations in Libya and Syria and elsewhere, but when Palestinians seek freedom, they can block it by trampling even the UN processes.

It must be pointed out that Washington brokered peace between Palestine and Israel for more than two decades. Nothing happened. It is a failure as their peace efforts are designed for their interests – not for the Palestinian interests.

A real peace advocate’ organization for Palestinian wrote that on November 13, 1974, the late Yasser Arafat, then Palestine Liberation Organization president, told UN in a General Assembly that he carries “both an olive branch and a gun.” After which the world body grants the PLO an observer seat, which it holds to this day. Arafat agreed for the two state for Palestine. But that state for Palestine was not realized while the Jews already had Israel. If this negotiated (or imposed) two state Palestine will not be realized, would not the Palestine pushed for the total justice which is justly and rightfully theirs – to claim the old Palestine set-up? Not anymore through the olive branch but by gun? Is that not a just war for a just aspiration too? # nordis.net