UNSC Rejects Palestinian Resolution for End of Israeli Occupation By 2017
UNSC Rejects Palestinian Resolution for End of Israeli Occupation By 2017
As per the UN Charter, the United Nations Security Council must ensure the prevalence of peace and security across the world. With the latest action on UNSC’s part, a Palestinian resolution failed to find favour with a minimum of even 9 members of this UN body. A Palestinian resolution calling for peace with Israel within a span of one year and an end to Israeli occupation by 2017 has met with a negative response from UNSC members.
Draft Resolution Not a Solution, Says UNSC
The new draft resolution submitted on December 29th called for 2 sovereign states Israel and Palestine living side by side. It also mentioned the need for end of Israeli occupation and establishment of a Palestinian state within a time frame of not more than 3 years. The draft resolution also indicated East Jerusalem as a capital of the Palestine state which would be established on 1967 borders. The aim was also to settle the refugee questions as per UN resolution 194. The motion received eight “yes”votes including two from Russia and France and two “no” votes from the United States and Australia with 5 abstentions.
Riyad Mansour, Palestinian ambassador to the UN has expressed the disappointment against the world body regarding the failure of the vote. "The Security Council has once again failed to uphold its charter duties to address this crises and to meaningfully contribute to a lasting solution in accordance with its own resolutions," the ambassador was quoted as having said. "This year, our people under Israeli occupation endured the further theft and colonisation of their land, the demolition of their homes, daily military raids, arrests and detention of thousands of civilians including children, rampant settler terrorism, constant affronts to their human dignity and repeated incursions at our holiest sites,” he also added.
A Challenge for the Two State Solution
After the vote, the US also reiterated its opposition to the draft resolution.
Samantha Power, US ambassador to the United Nations, also indicated that the resolution was against the efforts to "achieve two states for two people,” and that "It is deeply imbalanced and contains many elements that are not conducive to negotiations between the parties including unconstructive deadlines that take no account for Israelis legitimate security concerns.”
The resolution was submitted by Jordan which is the only Arab member of the UNSC at present. The resolution had specifically called for negotiations to be carried out on territorial lines prior to the Israeli control over West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem in the year 1967.
Israel has said that the Security Council vote after the collapse of the US mediated talks would only cause the conflict to become bigger. Lack of progress on the peace talks have frustrated both sides. Not even interventions by the Pope could bring last peace and an acceptable solution to both the sides. Many world leaders have also proved unsuccessful so far. Some European parliaments have even adopted non-binding motions for the recognition of the Palestinian state. Palestine has indicated its readiness to join the International Criminal Court to file suits against the Israelis. The question remains as to what could be a lasting solution to this decades old crisis which has led to loss of countless lives as two people struggle to establish their home in the Holy Land torn apart by war between them.
