New York — In a special session of the United Nations Security Council on Friday, the U.S., along with several other countries, slammed the practice of forcibly removing Palestinian civilians by Israel to make way for Israeli settlers, saying the behavior is leading to a “one-state reality” for Palestinians.
The session, titled “Illegal Israeli Settlements: Obstacles to Peace and the Two-State Solution,” is a response to mounting criticism over a dramatic rise in settler activity in recent decades. It’s been reported that over 11,000 Israeli housing units have been authorized under the rule of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The negative reaction has been so strong, in fact — particularly of late — that even the United States, a steadfast Israeli ally, has had to take a hard line on the settler movement. At Friday’s meeting, the U.S. representative said he is “deeply concerned and strongly opposes settlements which are corrosive to peace” and that Israel’s attitude “creates a one-state reality on the ground.”
But the United States was far from alone in voicing such uneasiness.
The Russian representative, for instance, said flatly: “Settlement construction must stop.” He also noted Israeli settlements create “Palestinian enclaves” that are disconnected from one another.
The representative from Britain, according to Haaretz, called Israeli settlement expansion an obstacle to peace, while the French ambassador condemned the practice altogether. The Chinese representative suggested an independent Palestinian state was the key to peace, while the Venezuelan envoy took the opportunity to slam the U.N. Security Council itself for failing to take action against Israel previously.
It was Egypt who set the meeting’s tone, however. Speaking first, the Egyptian representative stated the simple, sad truth: “There are generations of Palestinians who only know fear and dare not dream of a better future.”
Friday’s meeting comes the day after the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)passed a resolution to deny Israel’s historical claim to the Temple Mount. They cited “escalating aggressions and illegal measures” undertaken by Israel against the religious rights of Muslims in Jerusalem.
An Israeli official scoffed at the decision during Friday’s special session, stating:“These claims deny thousands of years of deep connection between the people of Israel and its land — just like it was done yesterday with UNESCO’s absurd decision.”
The State of Israel has since officially suspended its cooperation with UNESCO.
As Underground Reporter highlighted in August, Israel’s settler movement, and, indeed, the Israeli occupation of Palestine as a whole, has been roundly condemned by governments and human rights groups alike as being in stark violation of international law.
Some groups, such as the International Court of Justice and the U.N. Human Rights Council, have gone a step further and posited that what Israel is doing in Palestine amounts to war crimes.
As The Guardian wrote in 2013, commenting on recent U.N. findings at the time:
“All settlement activity in occupied territory must cease ‘without preconditions’ and Israel ‘must immediately initiate a process of withdrawal of all settlers,’ said the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC). Israel, it said, was in violation of article 49 of the fourth Geneva convention, which forbids the transfer of civilian populations to occupied territory.”
A war crime, in other words.
Telling is the fact that even then, faced with possible charges being brought against it at the International Criminal Court, Israel refused — and still has to this day — to budge an inch on the settler issue. Such defiance moves one to question whether anything, ever — much less a bunch of government officials in a room pointing fingers — will force Israel to end the occupation of Palestine.
This article (Countries from Around the World Just Slammed Israel’s Imperialism in Palestine) is free and open source. You have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to James Holbrooks andtheAntiMedia.org.
Israel does not answer to the UN. It answers to a higher authority which delineated its borders from the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates River.
Israel is going to pay with its precious borders by not existing at all, soon!
The UN has warned Israel 75 times about it’s collective punishment of the Palestinians and other issue but gets no response from right wing Zionist Israel, Other countries have done the same but no response there either. These Nazi Zionists that control Israel have defied all for 68 years. I find it hard to believe that the international community tolerates this organized criminal state,
They should speak with one voice and make demands to live up to UN resolutions. If they don’t respond then take concrete action against these Zionist organized criminals. Use military force to make the pseudo-state of Israel end their collective punishment of the Palestinians.
They have made fools of the world for 68 years. Haven’t you had enough?
@Al Plumlee Couldn’t agree more. It’s Hammer time!
It was the Arab countries that started it all, not agreeing to the agreements made by the UN in 48, agreements that were agreed by everyone bar them. Go almost anywhere in the middle east and you will be persecuted because of your religion, go to Israel and you will be welcomed with open arms regardless. If all the rest of the middle east was like Israel the world would be a safer place for all humanity.
Safe for Israeli only
complainers and crying and lying obout ther misfortune.
When words don’t work… There is a Universal Language and it makes the sound of a Gun.
For decades all Israel wanted was for the Arab nations to accept their right to exist. Until this happens there will rightfully be no peace. The UN is fucked up and always has been.
Israel has been an aggressive country from the day it was formed…. I have no idea why a religion needs a country. God is everywhere if one knows how to look. I was not born when it was originated but never understood why it was (and yes I know about the Nazi’s). Throughout history there have been peoples forced from their lands, we don’t just give them land to start over….. Maybe I am just a little ignorant on this issue though…
For decades all Israel wanted was for the Arab nations to accept their right to exist. Until this happens there will rightfully be no peace. The UN is screwed up and always has been.
We must disagree; Israel won’t stop until the Middle East becomes The United States of Israel. “USS Liberty” or “Five Dancing Israelis” YouTube.
wow…like this is new news. this has been going on for decades and while its being baced by the UK and the US nothing will change. Here are the jews lamentinf the Nazis by being Nazis themselves….irony funded by capitalism.
Surprised thet Muslim Nation’s refuse to acknowledge Christian & Jewish ties to all Holy sites in Israel including Yeshua’s place of Birth,Death & Resurection.Before you narrow minded Hypocrites join hands with your muslim friends to throw stones at us.Just remember that the Barbarians always eat the Dupes in the End! Look Who stand with when you stand against Israel.Are you blind?