Obama's UN address + live webcast

From Obama's remarks at the UN General Assembly:

The Palestinian people deserve a state of their own, but ... a genuine peace can only be realized between the Israelis and the Palestinians themselves

America's commitment to Israel's security is unshakable, our friendship with Israel is deep and enduring ... Israel is surrounded by neighbors that have waged repeated wars against them. Israel's citizens have been killed by rockets fired on their houses and bombs on their buses 

Peace will not come through statements and resolutions at the U.N. If it were that easy, it would have been accomplished by now 

You can watch the UN General Assembly debates live here: http://www.un.org/webcast

A guide to the Palestinian statehood bid: for, against, and undecided

The unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state is ultimately the creation of another Gaza or northern Lebanon in the heart of Israel. When Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza and northern Lebanon, the respective territory became not a basis for an entity that could develop healthy economic, political and social relations with Israel, but rather fertile ground for shooting rockets deeper into Israeli territory and infiltrating its borders to commit acts of violence on civilians--official strategic policies advanced by parties that were democratically elected, i.e. supported by the population, in the case of Gaza.

Moreover, as 45 years have passed since the said territory was won by Israel in a war they did not want (keep in mind: Palestinians, along with Jordan, Egypt, Syria, and Lebanon were enemies of Israel prior to 1967, when Israel had those dreamy pre-67 borders), the West Bank is now home to nearly one million Israelis, who have since built vibrant and extensive infrastructure, cities, schools, transportation systems, community centers and agriculture. In the present security context, the declaration of a Palestinian state outside of the context of a peace agreement with Israel is a declaration of war on a sovereign country.

In the days leading up to Abbas' formal application for UN membership at the UN this Friday, Israeli and Palestinian officials are busy tallying up pledges by countries to vote for and against the bid. The potential upcoming and critical votes on the matter, and the expected outcomes, are as follows:

UN Security council vote

On Friday, September 23, Mahmoud Abbas will submit the membership application to the UN Secretary General after his address to the General Assembly. Still, the UN Security Council vote on the bid may be delayed for several weeks. If a vote should happen, the bid would require a majority of 9 out of 15 votes in favor in order to pass. As it stands, out of the 15 members of the UN so-called Security Council, six or seven have pledged to support the Palestinian bid. Palestinian foreign minister Raid Malki said that officials are now busy trying to convince two or three more members in favor of accepting Palestine as a member state.

Permanent members: The UN security council is composed of five permanent members: China, France, Russia, Britain and the US. Britain and France have thus far not announced an official position, although have said that Palestinians should approach the EU rather than the UN. China and Russia are likely to support the bid. 

Non-permanent members: In addition to the five permanent members, the General Assembly periodically elects ten non-permanent members, who take part in the council for two-year terms. The current non-permanent members and their position on the bid are as follows:

In favor (6): Brazil, India, Lebanon, South Africa (China, Russia)

Against (2): Germany (US)

Will abstain (1): Colombia 

Undecided (6=have not yet made an official announcement, as of 9/20): Portugal, Bosnia, Nigeria, Gabon (Britain, France)

[Note: as a result of Palestinian pressure, YNet reports that Gabon and Nigeria are set to endorse the bid, although no formal announcement has been made]

In other words, the fate of Israel could lie in the hands of a West African nation most people never new existed, with a population of 1.5 million.

General Assembly vote

If Gabon and Nigeria indeed endorse the bid, and if Palestinians (h"v) enlist the support of either Portugal, Nigeria or Bosnia (this article says Portugal is likely to endorse), amounting to a majority in the Security Council, then the US will most likely be forced to use its veto power to kill the motion.

However, this still leaves the Palestinians with the option of going to the General Assembly, by invoking Resolution 377, which states that if the Security Council fails to exercise its responsibility for the "maintenance of international peace and security," the General Assembly can in effect bypass the Security Council decision. Legal experts have emphasized that the wording of the resolution does not have the backing of international law, but Israeli officials are not taking chances.

Should the Palestinians go to the General Assembly after facing a US veto, they would require two-thirds of 193 votes in order for the membership bid to pass.

Some are warning that the Palestinians may bypass the Security Council entirely and head straight for the General Assembly, should their chances there be better. 

Indonesia

This is where countries like Indonesia come into the picture. And specifically, efforts by countries like Indonesia to not only back the bid, but lobby other countries to support it.

On Tuesday, after a meeting with Kazakhstani and Portugese officials, Indonesia's foreign minister announced that the country is actively seeking opportunities to ensure Palestine's bid for UN membership.

Also on Tuesday, Indonesian officials upgraded the status of the Mount Tambora volcano to Level 3, after volcano activity increased, raising the risk of the emission of toxic gas to neighboring villages, and forcing evacuations of these areas.

The Mount Tambora volcano was responsible for the largest and deadliest volcanic eruption in history, in April 1815, in which nearly 100,000 people were killed.

In April, Tambora showed signs of awakening. In August, it made headlins for spewing thick white smoke into the sky.

Throughout the month of September, earthquake activity has increased.

New Video! Earthquakes, Elenin and the Land of Israel

My first YouTube video:



Please like this video and comment on Youtube if you feel so inclined (so far there are far too many anti-Israel comments)!

6.9 India earthquake, Elenin and the Palestinian UN state bid

A shallow 6.9 earthquake hit Sikkim, India at 6:10p.m. local time on Sunday evening, killing at least 16 people, toppling buildings, and sending tremors as far as New Delhi, Bangladesh and Nepal. The quake precipitated massive landslides throughout the Himalayan state, cutting off thousands living in remote areas.

For those following the relationship between Elenin and recent increased earthquake activity throughout the globe: Elenin is now between the orbs of Mercury and Venus, on its way to align with the Earth, Sun and Mercury on Venus' orb around the Jewish New Year on September 27th. Elenin is currently 0.542 astronomical units from the Earth (the sun is 1 AU from the Earth; during the Japan earthquake, Elenin was 6 AUs from Earth).

Now, guess who announced their support of Palestinian state bid at the UN on Friday?

India will support a Palestinian bid for membership of the United Nations at a meeting of the General Assembly scheduled for later this month, Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai said on Friday...Mr. Mathai told journalists that India “will support the resolution on Palestine seeking membership of the United Nations” and that India was among the first countries to accord the state of Palestine diplomatic recognition when it was proclaimed in November 1988 (The Hindu, Sept. 17, 2011).

Earthquakes, Elenin and Eretz Yisrael are all in God's hands. 

The silver lining of Palestinian statehood?

In an interview with Foreign Policy magazine, Israel's ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren said that the establishment of a Palestinian state (h"v) could alter the status of all existing agreements between the Palestinian Authority, the U.S. and Israel. According to Oren, Israel has agreements with the P.A., not with the 'government of Palestine'. Agreements that could be "put at risk" include treaties on security cooperation, economic and even water-sharing. "The Palestinians risk all that has been achieved if they go forward with this...and that would be a great tragedy," Oren said.

China will support unilateral Palestinian sate bid

China has joined the list of countries who support a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state in September.

According to Israel's foreign ministry, 130-140 states are expected to vote in favor of a unilateral Palestinian state--independence without formal peace agreement with Israel. Only five countries have promised Israel that they will vote against the Palestinian bid: the U.S., Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic. Other nations with otherwise "warm" relations are expected to be absent or abstain rather than vote against. Whether the EU's 27 countries with vote in favor, abstain or oppose remains in question.

Palestinians will bring their bid to the UN Security Council on September 20th, but the General Assembly vote, needed to pass with a two thirds majority should the US veto the motion, will take place only in October.

Thailand: Between Palestinian statehood and terror

On Monday, PLO member Nabil Shaath announced that Thailand will support the recognition of a Palestinian state at the UN on September 20th, following meetings with officials from the Thai foreign ministry in Bangkok.

On Thursday, two people were shot dead and 10 were wounded in a series of attacks by Muslim rebels in a southern Thailand province on the border of Malaysia.

According to BBC, as of August 12th, 122 countries are expected to vote in favor of Palestinian statehood in mid-September. Even if the US vetos the motion, it can still pass with a majority of two-thirds in the general assembly, which would require 128 votes in favor, or 134 if all countries are present.

US to call for Assad to step down

US officials have given word that Obama will explicitly call for Syrian President Bashar Assad to step down, after weeks of weaker rhetoric against the regime. One official said the announcement may come as early as Thursday.

Earlier this week, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain withdrew their ambassadors from Damascus. Meanwhile, at the UN, Russia's envoy said Western sanctions have proven ineffective in ending Syria's crackdown on demonstrations.

In the case of Egypt, Obama called for a transition to democracy in Egypt on February 4th, which was considered by many as a call for Mubarak to step down. Mubarak announced his resignation on state TV on the afternoon of February 12th.

Has Goldstone done teshuva? Dershowitz, Yishai say so

On Friday, Richard Goldstone published a retraction (see below) of the infamously anti-Israel Goldstone report, stating that "if I had known then what I know now, the Goldstone Report would have been a different document." Goldstone highlights the fact that while Israel has investigated hundreds of cases of potential misconduct from the Gaza war, Hamas has done nothing. Also, Goldstone established once and for all which side is truly liable for crimes against humanity: Goldstone states that Israel's post-war investigations "indicate that civilians were not intentionally targeted as a matter of policy." On the other hand, when it comes to Hamas, Goldstone states that it "goes without saying" that Hamas launches rockets indiscriminately on civilian targets.

Goldstone's retraction was published after Interior Minister Eli Yishai wrote a letter to the South African judge last week, blaming the Goldstone report for providing conscienceless killers the legitimacy to murder innocent children, and demanding Goldstone condemn the incessant rocket fire from Gaza. In his Friday retraction, Goldstone calls on the UN to condemn Hamas rocket fire on Israel and the Fogel family murder in the strongest terms (in case any "vanguards of human rights" were still on the fence about that one).

And so, how shall we accept Goldstone's double-take? Some are saying he indeed has done teshuva. Eli Yishai personally wrote Goldstone back, surprised by the latter's willingness to admit error (my translation): "Your words today surprised me as well, and indicate your ability to come out with courage and admit your error, and for this you deserve appreciation. The Jewish tradition places a special value on those who acknowledge their mistakes." Meanwhile, Alan Dershowitz called the retraction a "good start", and added that "Jews must always accept those who repent back into the fold and this is the case here."

The Goldstone report has been the #1 weapon used against Israel since the end of Cast Lead, and any retraction from it and towards the truth is honorable. Still, I'm waiting for the day that Goldstone, overwhelmed by the moral clarity of the complex situation he continues to piece together, will write letters to all MKs begging Israel to do a favor for all of humanity, and finish the job.

In the meantime, Goldstone's retraction is big and should be widely circulated. The reason teshuva is such a powerful concept is that to err and then to correct oneself brings even more glory to the side on which truth and justice lie. Hopefully Goldstone's reassessment will ripple throughout the international community and inspire others to clean their glasses and hone in on humanity's true foe.

Reconsidering the Goldstone Report on Israel and war crimes
By Richard Goldstone, The Washington Post, Friday, April 1

We know a lot more today about what happened in the Gaza war of 2008-09 than we did when I chaired the fact-finding mission appointed by the U.N. Human Rights Council that produced what has come to be known as the Goldstone Report. If I had known then what I know now, the Goldstone Report would have been a different document.

The final report by the U.N. committee of independent experts — chaired by former New York judge Mary McGowan Davis — that followed up on the recommendations of the Goldstone Report has found that “Israel has dedicated significant resources to investigate over 400 allegations of operational misconduct in Gaza” while “the de facto authorities (i.e., Hamas) have not conducted any investigations into the launching of rocket and mortar attacks against Israel.”

Our report found evidence of potential war crimes and “possibly crimes against humanity” by both Israel and Hamas. That the crimes allegedly committed by Hamas were intentional goes without saying — its rockets were purposefully and indiscriminately aimed at civilian targets.

The allegations of intentionality by Israel were based on the deaths of and injuries to civilians in situations where our fact-finding mission had no evidence on which to draw any other reasonable conclusion. While the investigations published by the Israeli military and recognized in the U.N. committee’s report have established the validity of some incidents that we investigated in cases involving individual soldiers, they also indicate that civilians were not intentionally targeted as a matter of policy.

...Indeed, our main recommendation was for each party to investigate, transparently and in good faith, the incidents referred to in our report. McGowan Davis has found that Israel has done this to a significant degree; Hamas has done nothing. Some have suggested that it was absurd to expect Hamas, an organization that has a policy to destroy the state of Israel, to investigate what we said were serious war crimes. It was my hope, even if unrealistic, that Hamas would do so, especially if Israel conducted its own investigations. At minimum I hoped that in the face of a clear finding that its members were committing serious war crimes, Hamas would curtail its attacks. Sadly, that has not been the case. Hundreds more rockets and mortar rounds have been directed at civilian targets in southern Israel. That comparatively few Israelis have been killed by the unlawful rocket and mortar attacks from Gaza in no way minimizes the criminality. The U.N. Human Rights Council should condemn these heinous acts in the strongest terms.

In the end, asking Hamas to investigate may have been a mistaken enterprise. So, too, the Human Rights Council should condemn the inexcusable and cold-blooded recent slaughter of a young Israeli couple and three of their small children in their beds.

US Backs UNSC Slam of Israel on Settlements

Any country that in the current environment in the Middle East--in which Israel faces a double threat on its Northern border from Hezbollah, its southern border with an Egyptian unrest, and now, a triple threat from Iranian warships seeking to cross Suez for the first time in 30 years--any country in which THIS environment chooses to craft a security council resolution condemning Israel for settlement building, is either deeply morally and geopolitically misguided or extremely weak in the international Arab-dominated arena.

Several days ago, this blog commented on NYT columnist Tom Friedman, who has called Israel's settlement building 'madness'. (He also called claims that justify terrorism in places like London 'outragerous', but failed to issue the same strong moral language regarding Palestinian murder). The current US administration is now buying into the world's dysfunctional moral compass, which views threats against Israel from North, South, East and West as understandable, while Israelis building bedrooms, schools, hospitals, universities and synagogues is suddenly the world's threat to world peace.

Only Hashem can help us in a state in which the world's moral compass is corrupt.





The song above was sung by a group of schoolchildren outside of the Old City on Passover 5770 (2010). The words are: And that which stood for our ancestors and for us, for not only one stood against us to destroy us, but the Holy Blessed One saves us from their hands.

Right now it seems like the only ally Israel has are the speakers (and their supporters) from the most recent CPAC conference in Washington, in which 2012 Republican candidates made remarks on the current fashlot (Israeli world for debacles) of US foreign policy, the embarrassingly misguided US response on Egypt, the shame of US' abandonment of Israel and the wisdom of Israel's foreign policy assessments, which are currently the bastion of realism in international relations.

In another rare exhibition of realism and moral integrity, Harvard professor Niall Ferguson praised last week's Herziliya Conference which took place at the Interdisciplinary Center in Israel, in which world leaders and experts shared views and visions on the future of the region. Ferguson implied that while the US is blinding itself with wishful thinking, the Israelis are doing the hard work of shaping real policy.



Anyone who defends Israel's point of view in today's world is precious in Hashem's eyes like a diamond in a ghetto of moral corruption and self-hatred of humanity. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. (Genesis 12:3)

Below are the details from the US' most recent sell-out of Israel. According to Foreign Policy's Turtle Bay blog by Colum Lynch:

The U.S. informed Arab governments Tuesday that it will support a U.N. Security Council statement reaffirming that the 15-nation body "does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlement activity," a move aimed at avoiding the prospect of having to veto a stronger Palestinian resolution calling the settlements illegal. 

But the Palestinians rejected the American offer following a meeting late Wednesday of Arab representatives and said it is planning to press for a vote on its resolution on Friday, according to officials familar with the issue. The decision to reject the American offer raised the prospect that the Obama adminstration will cast its first ever veto in the U.N. Security Council. 

Still, the U.S. offer signaled a renewed willingness to seek a way out of the current impasse, even if it requires breaking with Israel and joining others in the council in sending a strong message to its key ally to stop its construction of new settlements. The Palestinian delegation, along with Lebanon, the Security Council's only Arab member state, have asked the council's president this evening to schedule a meeting for Friday. But it remained unclear whether the Palestinian move today to reject the U.S. offer is simply a negotiating tactic aimed at extracting a better deal from Washington. 

Susan E. Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, outlined the new U.S. offer in a closed door meeting on Tuesday with the Arab Group, a bloc of Arab countries from North Africa and the Middle East. In exchange for scuttling the Palestinian resolution, the United States would support the council statement, consider supporting a U.N. Security Council visit to the Middle East, the first since 1979, and commit to supporting strong language criticizing Israel's settlement policies in a future statement by the Middle East Quartet.

The U.S.-backed draft statement -- which was first reported by Al Hurra -- was obtained by Turtle Bay. In it, the Security Council "expresses its strong opposition to any unilateral actions by any party, which cannot prejudge the outcome of negotiations and will not be recognized by the international community, and reaffirms, that it does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlement activity, which is a serious obstacle to the peace process." The statement also condemns "all forms of violence, including rocket fire from Gaza, and stresses the need for calm and security for both peoples."