According to a statement detailing the content of the meeting, US Consul General for Jerusalem Daniel Rubinstein informed the Palestinian Authority today that any effort to upgrade themselves to full statehood at the United Nations will result in a loss of all US aid.
Rubinstein, who was meeting with Palestinian official Saeb Erekat, told him that the UN bid was “useless” and that the US would use its veto if they approach the Security Council for recognition. An effort to find recognition in the General Assembly, though likely to pass would mean “punitive measures” from the US.
The Palestinians have promised to approach the Security Council in September and have raised the possibility of trying to move on to the General Assembly if (now apparently when) the US vetoes their bid for statehood. US officials maintain that no Palestinian state can exist until Israel formally approves of it, something which is extremely unlikely under Israel’s current right-far-right coalition.
If Rubinstein’s threat is authentic, and there seems to be some dispute of that, it gives the Palestinian Authority a stark choice: either they push through with their bid for independence at the cost of massive amounts of US money, or they accept their continued status as an occupied nation, dependent on the international community for occasional funding.
Of course they'll stop aid, any excuse to get more Palestinian dead is a good one. Does the US even give aid to Palestine?
The US gives millions of dollars a year to the Palestinian Authority. It gives billions to Israel (about $3B in direct aid and another $2B in loan guarantees).
This move shows how opposed to supposed American principles "our" government is: opposing the liberty and self-determination of millions of people. I favor ending ALL foreign aid, but this discrimination motivated by kowtowing to Israel is enraging.
Washington is an Israeli colony.
Even our diplomatic corps is riddled with Americans who identify profoundly with pro-Apartheid Israelis.
Are we to believe that these Jewish-Americans are free of any pro-Israel bias as they formulate US policies in the Middle East?
This is yet another repulsive expression of Israeli hegemony in our nation's capitol. This corruption must end.
I'm not so certain that US government gives money to Palestine. I think the US gives money to Israel (that's meant for the Palestinian Authority) and Israel magnanimously doles that pittance out to the PA.
Ewww, how overtly "humanitarian" is that.
IF Mahmoud Abbas had a spine, he'd tell the US to "stick it!" Aid and whatever.
Criminy, the Palestinian people will NEVER get a square deal from the US. You know, cause US government is Israeli occupied territory.
Hello Palestine? Declare you sovereignty and be done with it. Screw the US, Israel, and the waffling UN. Wasting your time they are indeed.
The Palestinians definitely need to tell us to stick the aid and they need to push full speed ahead with the drive to statehood via the UN just as Israel is going full speed ahead with building more housing on Palestinian land. Playing the American-Israeli negotiation game has the same upside as a three card monty con. There is no win there for those beleaguered people.
Because all foreign aid is merely a bribe that is designed to force other countries to do what we want. The US government doesn't give it out to help any poor people or for any humanitarian reason, it is simply a tool whereby the US can dictate policy to the rest of the world.
Palestine should call the US bluff and drive on with statehood. I've said many a time that if the US doesn't want in on the nation-building contracts, it's certainly welcome to sit in the yard and watch China and Russia an Iran (and probably Britain and France) gladly step up to the plate and get those roads and power stations and water treatment plants and an international airport built- not to mention any number of other infrastructure projects that a new nation requires. And I have no doubt in my mind that at least those first three contenders will be more than happy to trade boatloads of military equipment for a few choice pieces of real estate where they can keep an eye on Israeli shenanigans.
Sure, US, go ahead and pull any aid to Palestine- you'll just wind up paying it to Israel anyway since they're already stealing the cash now and they won't want to have to make up the difference. Be all tough because Israel tells you to- now tell Joe the Plumber why his company can't bid on huge contracts over there once Palestine is independent.
Be nice, play nice- be an ass, get treated like one.
The USG is bankrupt and should eliminate all foriegn aid. Of course, the elimination of aid to the Palistinains is not motivated by fiscal concerns, but is being used as a hammer to punish the Palistinians by the Israel firsters in congress. When the USG cannot afford to keep the promises it has made to its own citizens ALL foriegn aid, including aid to Israel should be cut.
"unlikely under Israel’s current right-far-right coalition."
Doesn't matter what part of the political spectrum they come from. Any peace agreement would mean Israel would have to demarcate its borders and would find expansion very difficult after that.
There's a lot more expanding to do before the zionists will have got what they demanded in the 1920s.
End ALL Foreign Aid..
And dont let Cantor put Israeli aid und the DoD when Foreign Aid does end
I wish Palestine a few Patrick Henrys, some Samuel Adamses, some Nathan Hales (if need be) , and a lot of good Americans telling the racist, land-stealing Israelis to go take a leap into the Dead Sea
There is always people saying America controls Israel and Israel controls America to me it seems Isreal is in control.The Palistinians have been held down to long it should be Israel dieing to get statehood they have been there since 1948 the Palistinians have been there for thousands of years.Israel like alot of countrys say they seperate church and state except when they use the bible to steal land and keep stealing it.The people living in Israel most are probably not even desendents of the Hebrews from the bible.The only Jewish tribe in Israel was actualy in Judea can't belive they forced there way there opnly to seal land for the last 50 years.America is just as responsible for every crim commited by Israel there money and weapons are used to murder and they now it.Palistine tryed to do it with Americas help it got them now were.Biggest bully war criminals in the world America and Isreal.I'll pray you get your recognision and others will be happy to help.
My way or the highway! This is the current and past US foreign policy and will continue wiell into the future. For countries that believe they are "exceptional", like the USA and Israel, nations have to see it their way or not expect any sops to be given. As a coutnry presumably founded on Christian principles, the USA has grown so far from its roots hrough the tutoring of Old Testament eschatology that they now have nother "Christian" to offer the world. Remember Jesus came to help the impoverished, the imprisoned and the less fortunate in this world.
Considering that the value of the dollar is plummeting, maybe the Palestinians ought to tell the US to stick it where the sun don't shine.
I would be OK with the deal if they vowed to stop stealing my money from me and sending it to anyone pretending it is "aid." As far as what is moral and right, Palestine is a state, Israel is merely an enemy occupant of that state.
All those Christian Zionists would do well to really ask themselves, "What WOULD Jesus do?" and bomb the hell out of his cousins and their family probably ain't it.
Jesus Christ would never get the chance:
Oswald Refeisen, a Polish Jew, voluntarily converted to Catholicism, eventually becoming Father Daniel of the Carmelite Order. He immigrated to Israel in 1958. As he had a Jewish mother and considered himself a Jew, he applied for the status of an oleh (aliyah) under the Law of Return. When his request was denied, he took his case to the Supreme Court where a four-to-one majority decided that Father Daniel was not a Jew for the purpose of the Law of Return. Stilberg, the presiding judge said: "A Jew who becomes a Christian cannot be called a Jew." If the 60 million Christian right expect a Second Coming of Jesus Christ into the Holy Land, they are in for a shock. His Jewish mother would not be good enough to get Him residency.
With regards the risks of the proposed Palestinian statehood recognition in the UN could I refer readers to the web ‘Lest we Forget’: http://www.1948.org.uk
"US officials maintain that no Palestinian state can exist until Israel formally approves of it"
I wonder if the Arabs approved of the creation of the state of Israel? Oh right – they weren't consulted on that one – Israel was just given the Arab land.
The United Nations is a phony organization. Any use of the organization was eliminated when bus started using NATO as it preferred method of starting wars. The Unite Nations hwat rules and soeone could actually stop a useless war like attack Libya. Libya was a member of the United Nations but they was allowed to be attacked by other members of the Union Naitons. As far as the Palestinians matter goes it means nothing because AIPAC owns the USA and the facdt the the zionist used WWII at their personal method to gather weapons does not matter since they apparently are a moral authority on being moral.