Netanyahu: Palestine Vote at UN ‘Meaningless’
Netanyahu opposes Palestinian statehood in favor of a Greater Israel
Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu said the UN General Assembly vote implicitly recognizing Palestine as a state was “meaningless” and will do nothing to realize actual statehood.
The United Nations General Assembly on Thursday voted overwhelmingly in favor of a resolution upgrading Palestine to a “non-member observer state,” from a “non-member observer entity.” The upgraded status could make it easier for the Palestinians to bring Israel to trial for war crimes at the International Criminal Court.
Israel, and of course the US – along with 7 other marginal outliers, had fiercely opposed the Palestinian bid, but it passed anyways in a 138-9 vote, with 41 abstentions.
“This is a meaningless resolution that won’t change anything on the ground. No Palestinian state will arise without an arrangement ensuring the security of Israeli citizens,” Netanyahu said in a statement on Thursday.
What he meant by this was that no Palestinian state will ever arise, so long as Israel has anything to do about it. The Israeli leadership, especially Netanyahu and his right-wing Likud Party, dreams of a Greater Israel with full sovereignty over the territories currently recognized as Palestinian in the West Bank and Gaza.
“The way to peace between Jerusalem and Ramallah is through direct negotiations without preconditions, not unilateral decisions at the UN,” Netanyahu added.
But unilateral is a funny way to describe a resolution that is in accord with an overwhelming international consensus. And anyways, the establishment of the Israeli state after WWII was exactly the kind of UN-authorized unilateral action Netanyahu now supposedly derides for Palestine.
Netanyahu also said any political settlement needs to come from direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. But Israel has derailed those negotiations by continuing illegal settlement expansion in the West Bank. Decades of the defunct peace process has revealed it to be merely a scheme to provide Israel with more time to colonize additional Palestinian land.
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RickR30
November 29th, 2012 at 9:13 pm
no bibi, anything you say is meaningless, war criminal, genocidal lunatic, retrograde religious fanatic. Go cry in avi's arms and plan your next Gaza slaughter to embarass yourself and your people.
gasketstogo
November 29th, 2012 at 9:40 pm
It's meaningful Bibi, otherwise why the threats?
james
November 29th, 2012 at 10:05 pm
Mr. Netanyahu, you are meaningless along with your entire country including every ass*ole that voted for you. The world will really live in peace if you and all your countrymen did us a favor and just drop dead.
tadzio308
November 30th, 2012 at 2:12 am
If it is meaningless why was Baby Bibi peeing in his diaper and threatening to hold his breathe until he turned blue?
rybo1
November 30th, 2012 at 2:43 am
James, well said!
John Watson
November 30th, 2012 at 4:36 am
If the UN vote was, is so meaningless, one wonders why the Nazi States of Israel and US so vehemently opposed it.
the Lion
November 30th, 2012 at 5:26 am
If it means nothing WHY were you so scared that it could happen?
Why have Americans been lobbying hard on your behalf, Many countries have an official policy of the two state solution, while paying lip service to it, you have thwarted it with every breath you take!
Could it be that you are worried about the War crimes implication?
Could it be that you will no longer be able to travel overseas, maybe even NOT to America, could Israel face a sanctions regime similar to that of Iran?
Rick
November 30th, 2012 at 6:31 am
Terrorist in action! "meaningless" eh? That comment alone proves that Israel is a Terrorist state with terrorist leaders. We don't support your evil terrorist cause bibi! – American citizen (Colorado)(Christian)
curmudgeonvt
November 30th, 2012 at 7:12 am
Meaningless? NFL. What it means is there is ample support for full-partner Statehood in the General Assembly – that the US nor Israel could stop if proposed. Let's call this "upgrade" a trial balloon…that was successful…and telling. The jig is up and there will be charges bought against Israel – and the US most likely as accomplices.
MarketingFile
November 30th, 2012 at 8:24 am
John ; not only that …. but if UN votes are meaningless ; why do we always veto for Israel ? The point its that it is only "meaningful" when it benefits his country .
MoT
November 30th, 2012 at 12:08 pm
Why seek to derail something so "meaningless"? You'd have thought time had turned back and Bibi was channeling the voices of long dead anti-semites. Pot calling kettle schwartz.
persnipoles
November 30th, 2012 at 2:51 pm
After a life devoted to building up a criminal nuclear hegemony, this has to be made meaningless. You can expect him to vigorously pursue that meaninglessness; watch for Israeli influence at ICC.
Frank
November 30th, 2012 at 3:09 pm
If he did not have the support of the United States and major Western Allies Netanyahu would be serving a life sentence in the Hague as the murder and lunatic he is.
Stephen
November 30th, 2012 at 4:32 pm
The real meaning is that Palestine is now recognized as a state rather than an entity. Another meaning is that it is blatantly clear that the overwhelming majority of the entire world supports Palestine. I hope I live to see the disbanding of the rogue zionist entity.