The Israeli government is poised to be officially outraged tonight amid expectations that Palestinian diplomats will ask the United Nations Security Council to recognize a unilateral Palestinian state within the 1967 borders.
Israeli Ambassador Shalev is already scheduled to address the UN assembly tomorrow to express opposition to the “one-sided” call for Palestinian statehood and to declare that the international body is misguided for even considering it.
Still, the Palestinian movement is expected to receive a shot in the arm in the form of European Union support, as Israeli media outlets are reporting the multi-national organization’s foreign minister will call for the formal division of Jerusalem and would recognize unilateral statehood for Palestine.
Though President Obama has come out in favor of a Palestinian state in theory, his administration has angrily condemned reports that the Palestinians might push for a unilateral declaration, and is widely expected to veto such a move.
For me it would be just fine if the US vetoes statehood for the Palestinians. At least then we can have a public demonstration of the extent to which Obama is in Israel's pocket. I'm tired of hearing the US government say it wants to be an honest broker in the so-called Middle East peace process.
If the UN could divide Palestine and establish the State of Israel for Jews, the precedent has been set for the UN to declare a State of Palestine for Palestinians within the borders of the Palestine mandate as it existed when the land was divided for a Jewish homeland. The United States should back what is fair for all Palestinians just as it has backed what was considered fair for the Jews. Furthermore, if Israel refuses to acknowlege its state borders, the UN must establish world-recognized borders for Israel!
Logic and fairness doesn't seem to have anything to do with the Palestinian-Israeli issue. I think it's necessary to take a hard look at U.S. interests in the area and how and why they pull the strings.