Editorial Note: The following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology. Comments are in parentheses.

 

UN General Assembly Votes For Palestinian Right To Self Determination, Israel-US-Canada Oppose as Usual

Friday December 21, 2012 04:54 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

With an overwhelming majority, the United Nations General Assembly voted for the “Palestinian Right To Self Determination”; the vote passed by 179 votes while only seven countries, including Israel and the United States, voted against, and three countries abstained.

Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations, Riyadh Mansour, stated that this vast majority vote is a continued international support to the Palestinian rights, including the right to self-determination and liberation.

Mansour urged the International Community, and all related international agencies, to continue to support the Palestinians in achieving their internationally-guaranteed rights as soon as possible.

The new resolution also states that the General Assembly believes in the urgent need to resume direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians based on all related resolutions and the Madrid principles, mainly the Land for Peace, the Road Map Peace Plan, and the Arab Peace Initiative.

It stressed on the need to find a lasting, comprehensive and fair peaceful resolution based on the two-state solution.

The resolution also affirmed the advisory ruling of the International Court on July 9 2004 in which the court ruled that the Israeli Annexation Wall in the occupied West Bank, is illegal, and said that the Wall and all Israeli violations are severely impeding the Palestinian right to self-determination.

The countries that opposed the recent resolution were Israel, the United States, Canada, Palau, Micronesia, the Marshall Island and Nauru; the countries that abstained are Cameron, Tonga and Honduras.

UN officials stress urgency of getting Israeli-Palestinian peace process back on track

UN.org, 19 December 2012 –

 United Nations officials today underscored the urgency of getting the Middle East peace process back on track, noting that the momentum for a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has slipped amid recent events and a resumption of meaningful talks is needed more than ever.

“The Middle East peace process is in a deep freeze,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated at his end-of-year press conference at UN Headquarters, adding that the two sides seem more polarized than ever.

Direct negotiations between the two sides have yet to resume since talks stalled in September 2010, after Israel refused to extend its freeze on settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory.

In addition, last month witnessed another cycle of violence in Gaza and Israel, as well as the granting by the General Assembly of non-member observer State status for Palestine at the UN.

“While bombs and rockets have stopped falling in Gaza and Israel, it has become clearer than ever that peace must be more than the absence of war,” said Mr. Ban.

Following the Assembly’s action, the Israeli Government announced it would approve plans for settlement construction of 3,000 housing units in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, indicated that planning will proceed on several thousand housing units in an area of the West Bank between Jerusalem and the settlement of Maale Adumim.

Mr. Ban voiced deep concern at heightened settlement activity in the West Bank, particularly around Jerusalem, stating that this “gravely threatens” efforts to establish a viable Palestinian State.

“I call on Israel to refrain from continuing on this dangerous path, which will undermine the prospects for a resumption of dialogue and a peaceful future for Palestinians and Israelis alike,” he said. “Let us get the peace process back on track before it is too late.”

The UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman, who briefed the Security Council on the latest developments today, recalled that settlement construction in the West Bank violates international law and is an obstacle to peace.

“If implemented, these plans would represent an almost fatal blow to remaining chances of securing a two-State solution,” he told the 15-member body. “We strongly urge the Israeli Government to heed the wide international calls to rescind these plans.”

He added that recent events are a reminder of “just how much the momentum for the two-State solution has slipped and just how hard we should be working in the year ahead to reverse this trend while there is still time to do so.”

The backdrop to these developments, said Mr. Feltman, is a worsening security situation in the West Bank, a fragile calm in Gaza after last month’s round of hostilities and a shifting geopolitical landscape in the region.

He noted that the calm in Gaza brokered by Egypt on 21 November has largely held, but it remains “tenuous.” Since last month’s briefing, one rocket has been fired from Gaza into Israel and one Israeli tank shell has landed in Gaza. Israeli security forces conducted two incursions into Gaza.

More generally, the impact of last month’s violence has exacerbated the vulnerabilities of some of Gaza’s poorest people and left up to 3,000 people in need of emergency shelter support, he added.

Mr. Feltman stated that the Assembly vote last month symbolizes the growing international impatience with the longstanding occupation and a resounding endorsement of Palestinian aspirations to live in freedom and dignity in an independent state of their own, and side by side with Israel in peace and security.

“2013 will be a decisive year in the peace process,” he said. “It is incumbent upon all of us to support the parties in stabilizing the situation and permitting progress toward the goal of achieving a two-State solution that is so critical for regional peace and security.”