OPINION
HIKMAT AJJURI
The Palestinians have over the past decades made countless appeals to the UN and its Security Council to uphold its Charter duties, on the protection of civilians during the war and the inadmissibility of acquisition of land by force as stipulated in its resolution 242 of 1967 and others but all fell on deaf ears.
Israel, the occupying power, has never been confronted or indicted for any of its atrocities against the Palestinians under its occupation. In contrast, Israel, has continued to receive unconditional support from western democracies and been protected by the American veto power which had been exercised more than 40 times in favour of Israel. On the other hand, the Palestinians under occupation, have been requested by same democracies, all the time to forgo their internationally recognised right to resist their occupier and to cater for its safety and security.
This attitude has contributed tremendously to encouraging Israel to behave as a state above the International Law.
After 36 years of paralysis, the Security Council has on the 23 of December 2016, decided to finally take the side of its principles, by adopting a resolution number 2334, stating that settlements have “no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under International Law,” and call on the International Community “to distinguish, in their relevant dealings, between the territory of the State of Israel and the territories occupied since 1967”.
In fact, this resolution has no tangible effect on the ground except bringing Israel down to earth to behave as a normal country and offer more breathing space for the Palestinians, after five decades of suffocation under the most immoral Israeli military occupation. However late, but still a responsible attempt by Obama’s administration to revive the path for peace and to preserve the two-States solution after has been nullified by Israeli officials that “the two-State solution is dead” and “there will be no Palestinian State”, coupled with steeling the land for settlement’s activities.
On too many occasions I warned against Netanyahu’s animosity to peace, which was clearly expressed in his book Place Under the Sun of 1993.
This animosity has also been expressed in Netanyahu’s latest hysterical reaction when on Christmas day, summoned envoys of the Security Council members for reprimand, coupled with his attack on his country’s strategic ally president Obama and his waged war against the UN and its organs, forgetting that his state, Israel was delivered from its womb in its resolution 181 of 1947.
Netanyahu however, failed to fool world leaders with his anti-peace tricks and allegations, yet he unfortunately succeeded locally in surging fear and racism amongst his Israeli society to guarantee his election for four times. In other words Netanyahu succeeded after 4 terms in office in making the only left enemy for Israel is Israel itself.
This resolution was a victory to all peace -loving peoples including Israelis who never accepted to surrender to Netanyahu’s lies and allegations.
On behalf of those Israelis and all Palestinians, I feel obliged to extend gratitude to all 15 Security Council members including America, because they have acted in line with the rest of the world’s nations on their constant calls to materialize the two states solution.
The Security Council by adopting the resolution 2334, does in fact mean well rather than ill to all the residents of the holy land, Jews, Christians and Muslims as it redirects the world’s compass towards ending the Israeli military occupation of the State of Palestine and establishing a long-term peace and stability in the middle east region and beyond.
What is now needed for the full realization of this resolution is for the American President elect, Trump, to take the side of the UN charter, which is to Dean Acheson (former secretary of State) a “condensed version of the American constitution”.
First appeared on 7.1.2017: https://www.publico.pt/2017/01/07/mundo/noticia/a-resolucao-que-significa-o-bem-para-todos-na-terra-santa-1757314