http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/29/united-nations-vote-palestine-state
Israel and the United States increasingly isolated as more and more nations support the Palestinians
Palestinians celebrate in Ramallah after the general assembly voted to recognise Palestine as a non-member state |
Netanyahu says that nothing has changed. Wrong Benyamin. Israel and the United States are becoming increasingly isolated as more and more nations support the Palestinians and their quest for statehood. Only those countries who rely on American aid, or who have some misguided pro Israeli leaning, voted against the proposal, but could in any case only muster 9 votes. The list of 41 abstentions, shows the extent to which unquestioning support for the Israeli/United States position in respect of Palestine and its aspirations for statehood, has declined with the United Kingdom, Australia and Germany amongst those who would normally vote with the United States, electing to sit on their hands. As would be expected, Israel and the United States immediately condemned the resolution, with Netanyahu describing Abbas's speech as incitement and full of lies. The U.S secretary of State Hillary Clinton, described the vote as "unfortunate and counterproductive" with the US ambassador to the UN Susan Rice saying, "Today's grand announcements will soon fade and the Palestinians will wake up to realise that little in their lives has changed,". There seems to be a collective state of denial in Washington and Tel Aviv. There has been a significant change in the Middle East dynamic not necessarily in the continued occupation of Palestine and the illegal blockade of Gaza, but certainly in the options now available to Palestine in the diplomatic field. Israel and the United States should tread very carefully from here on in with their threats of cutting aid, imposing new restrictions and all the other punitive measures promised over the last few months. The situation has changed and will not be the same again, no matter how much Tel Aviv and Washington may wish it to be different.
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