Let me explain the title to this blog post…..
A Non-member Observer State does not have voting power, but can join ‘committees’.
If youve attended college, the comparison can be made between auditing a class in college, in which you show up, participate, but not get credit and this Non-Member Observer State.
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First, a word from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas:
“Sixty-five years ago on this day, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 181, which partitioned the land of historic Palestine into two states and became the birth certificate for Israel,” Mr Abbas told the assembly. “The General Assembly is called upon today to issue a birth certificate of the reality of the State of Palestine,” he said.
A little bit of ‘pomp and circumstance’
Palestine’s UN Membership Chair being carried in to the General Assembly.
Random ‘odd’ fact:
Palestines newly granted status of Non-member Observer State is the same one previously, and exclusively, held by the Vatican.
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Before I go on about the United Nations vote, let me remind you just what is at stake. Journalist Harry Fear uploaded this video, that names the names of those killed by Israeli air strikes in Gaza:
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Quick Links:
Palestine becomes non-member UN state with observer status
UN general assembly makes resounding vote in favour of Palestinian statehood
QUOTE
The 193-member assembly voted 138 in favour of the plan, with only nine against and 41 abstentions. The scale of the defeat represented a strong and public repudiation for Israel and the US, who find themselves out of step with the rest of the world.
Thursday’s resolution raises Palestine from being a “non-member observer entity” to a “non-member observer state”. The key is the final word, which confers UN legitimacy on Palestinian statehood and, while it cannot vote at the general assembly, it will enjoy other benefits, such as the chance to join international bodies such as the International Criminal Court (ICC).
END QUOTE
Comment: The chance to join the ICC worries the United States because that would mean that Palestine could potentially have Israel charged with war crimes. And as much as understand politics, I do not understand why the world isnt ‘up in arms’ regarding the atrocities perpetuated against the Palestinian people.
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What Statehood is:
Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States
QUOTE
The Convention codified the declarative theory of statehood as accepted as part of customary international law.
The state as a person of international law should possess the following qualifications: (a) a permanent population; (b) a defined territory; (c) government; and (d) capacity to enter into relations with the other states.
END QUOTE
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The Vote:
Who voted against?
Just nine nations voted against the Palestinian Authority’s upgrade to nonvoting observer state status, which passed the General Assembly 138-9, with 41 abstentions.
Voting “no” Thursday were Israel, the United States and Canada, joined by the Czech Republic, Panama and several Pacific island nations: Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru and Palau. The Pacific nations typically support the U.S. and Israel at the U.N. on key General Assembly resolutions.
On a slight side-note, Nobody Knows Where Countries That Voted Against Palestine Are
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Reaction from Israel:
Yea, no one expected Israel to be pleased with the results…..but who would have thought that Netanyahu would say it was meaningless? (Netanyahu: Palestine Vote at UN ‘Meaningless’ )
QUOTE: The upgraded status could make it easier for the Palestinians to bring Israel to trial for war crimes at the International Criminal Court. END QUOTE
Once again, the biggest complain is in regards to the ICC and bringing Israel to trial for war crimes.
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And then on top of that:
Israel hits back with 3,000 new settler homes after Palestine wins U.N. vote
Israel revealed plans on Friday to build 3,000 settler homes in east Jerusalem and the West Bank in response to the Palestinians’ historic success in being recognized as a non-member state at the United Nations.
Palestinians bitterly oppose the E1 project, as it effectively cuts the occupied West Bank in two north to south and makes the creation of a viable Palestinian state highly problematic.
Israel has long feared that if the Palestinians won the rank of a U.N. non-member state, they could pursue the Jewish state for war crimes at the International Criminal Court in The Hague — particularly over its settlement building.
Friday’s decision to build more settler homes was roundly denounced by Peace Now, Israel’s settlement watchdog.
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Israel ‘to expand settlements’ over UN’s Palestine vote
Israel plans to build 3,000 new homes for its settlers in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem in defiance of a UN vote implicitly recognizing Palestinian statehood there, Israeli media reported Friday.
Under international law, transferring populations into an occupied territory is considered a war crime.
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Israel approves new homes in West Bank
The Obama administration has tried to discourage construction in E-1, which would cut off East Jerusalem from surrounding Arab towns and further carve up the West Bank, already riven by Israeli settlements and military checkpoints.
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United States reaction:
JOHN BOLTON: OBAMA DROPPED BALL ON U.N. PALESTINE VOTE
(Beware of the auto-play video, but please watch)
QUOTE: Former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton says Obama could have stopped the U.N. vote to grant statehood to Palestine, but he didn’t take it seriously. QUOTE
Again, we hear people talking about Palestine being involved in the ICC and the language used is ‘lawfare’ against Israel.
For crying out loud, what Israel has done in Gaza CAN be considered crimes against humanity. What is the problem? Why the cover-up?
It irks me to no end that THIS is why legislators are being said that they will enact legislation to cut off funding to the UN itself.
John Bolton needs to get a grip. Yea, 20 years ago you cut off Palestine and ‘defeated’ them….but lets get real, your complete lack of empathy for HUMAN BEINGS makes me ill.
Lets not forget tho, that John Bolton knows all too well how to lie to us. All you have to do is recall 2001-02 and George W Bush.
(Okay, my rant against Bolton is done…..for now)
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This afternoon I watched Breaking the Set with host Abby Martin, who recently traveled to Haiti with former President Jimmy Carter.
Former President Carter gets a lot of flack in the press (even now, people I know claim he was the worst president ever). This interview tho, has made me realize that some of what Ive read, cannot be based on facts.
President Carter has personally been involved with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He sees that prior to Netanyahu, a two state solution was what the region was working towards.
Unfortunately, Netanyahu violated all that by taking over, confiscating homes, and claiming that the Jordan River Valley all the way to the Mediterranean Sea should be Jewish land. He also would like to ordain Israel as a completely Jewish state, when in fact, 20% of the population of Israel are non-Jewish.
He has completely prevented any reconciliation with the participation of the United States. He wont even stop building settlements long enough to have any type of peace talks with the Palestinians.
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Oh Canada!
Canada temporarily recalls Palestinian, UN envoys, but says it isn’t breaking off relations
Mr. Baird announced Friday morning that he is temporarily recalling Canadian ambassadors to the UN and the Middle East to consult them on their next steps, and reviewing Canada’s relationship with the Palestinian Authority. But in an interview with CBC News, Mr. Baird said the Canadian reaction “will be responsible and will be deliberate.”
Before the vote, Canada had warned of potential retaliatory steps against the Palestinians – including private warnings to Palestinian representatives that it might close their delegation in Ottawa.
On Friday, however, Mr. Baird ruled out that step: “We’re not, obviously, looking at breaking off relations with the Palestinian Authority,” he said.
and later in the article:
However, Mr. Baird’s warning of retaliation has already provoked a stark response from the Palestinian Authority, whose chief negotiator said Canada has “disqualified” itself from any future role in the Middle East peace process with its vitriolic opposition to upgraded UN status for Palestinians.
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said that Canadian threats of reprisals and Mr. Baird’s decision to personally campaign against the Palestinian resolution at the UN have ruled Ottawa out of a future role.
“I believe this government is more Israeli than the Israelis, more settler than the settlers,” he said in an interview with The Globe and Mail. “I think they have disqualified themselves from playing any role in the Middle East peace process.”
In particular, he said, Canada is no longer fit for its long-standing role as the so-called “gavel-holder” of the Refugee Working Group – a post that makes Canada the chair of international discussions on Palestinian refugee issues.
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Mondoweiss calls for a military embargo on Israel after decades of human rights violations: BDS movement grows as leading figures call for military embargo on Israel following Gaza assault
QUOTE: Israel’s unchecked belligerence and persistent denial of basic human rights and self-determination to the Palestinian people call for a concerted effort by international civil society to force world governments to end the links of complicity. This impunity has allowed Israel to continue its occupation, colonization and denial of Palestinian refugees their UN-sanctioned rights. END QUOTE
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Last but not least, I came across a very interesting blog post today and wanted to share it with you. Its about how a martian would see in Gaza: Why Americans Don’t Understand Palestine
QUOTE: But our man from Mars is certainly not an American. And while empathy for the underdog is said to be an American trait, this is not true if the underdog is Palestinian. END QUOTE
Sheila's Take 
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