Israel, U.S. Hold Secret Talks Over Palestinian Authority's UN Bid

[Purveyor]

Source: HAARETZ

Israel is negotiating with the United States over the wording of the proposal at the UN General Assembly Thursday that would upgrade the Palestinians to observer status.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's representative at the talks, Isaac Molho, left for Washington unannounced on Sunday to meet with senior White House and State Department officials.

In recent weeks Israel has declared that it objects to any wording the Palestinians would bring for a vote at the General Assembly. Israel has refused to negotiate over the proposal's wording and has even asked the United States and EU countries not to enter talks on the matter. Rather, it wants them to put pressure on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to postpone the bid.

A senior Israeli official noted that in recent days senior U.S. officials told Netanyahu and his advisers that Abbas is determined to complete the UN process and that they see no way to block a vote. The U.S. administration says it will try to soften the wording, in an attempt at damage limitation.

Read more: http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israel-u-s-hold-secret-talks-over-palestinian-authority-s-un-bid.premium-1.480735

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So much for 'secret'...thank the gods!

[blkbear]

1. Palestinian UN Membership

The same day that Israel was granted UN membership, Palestine should have been granted the same. Then Israel would not have been able to take over 1/3 of the West Bank and Gaza.

[thesquanderer]

2. West Bank and Gaza did not constitute "Palestine" then

The West Bank and Gaza were "acquired" from Jordan and Egypt.

So I don't see how your second sentence follows your first.

[blkbear]

5. All of Palestine was carved out of Jordan and Egypt

This was done when the colonial period of Europe was still in effect. Later Israel was carved out of Palestine with defined borders, they have been encroaching and taking land from the Palestinians ever since.

http://citizenactionmonitor.wordpress.com/2012/10/08/u-s-activists-billboard-map-of-shrinking-palestine-territory-angers-pro-israeli-jews/

[former9thward]

6. If the Arab states had not attacked Israel it would not have the West Bank/Gaza.

The Arab states violated the UN mandate and attacked Israel the very day it was created. When you go to war and lose there are consequences.

[cpwm17]

8. Israel's massive ethnic cleansing campaign against the Palestinians

that started in 1947, well before "the very day it was created", had everything to do with it. The large stream of refugees flowing into their countries may have justified an attack. As history has show, Israel's creation has been disastrous for the region.

The UN had no legal or moral right to create a country on somebody else's land. No country in the region agreed to it. Of course Israel violated the illegal resolution and expelled the Palestinians from land that was supposed to remain with the Palestinians. Israel has been violating UN resolutions ever since.

[former9thward]

10. "The UN had no legal or moral right to create a country on somebody else's land"

Then you complain Israel has been violating UN resolutions. Classic.

[thesquanderer]

7. Are you saying...

...that Jordan and Egypt would have been willing to give up their claims to the West Bank and Gaza territories in 1949 for the purposes of creating an independent Palestinian state?

[blkbear]

9. Jordan & Egypt gave up nothing.

During the european colonial period those countries were ruled by Britain and France, they carved up that land from the Ottoman Empire. They put in place rulers of their choice and let them administer those countries for the benefit of Europe.

[thesquanderer]

11. I find it hard to reconcile your two replies to me

Your two replies said:

> 5. All of Palestine was carved out of Jordan and Egypt
>
> 9. Jordan & Egypt gave up nothing.


Jordan and Egypt did have control over that land. They did not voluntarily give it up to turn it into a Palestinian state, but they did lose it.

In your first post, you said Gaza and West Bank should have been turned into Palestine with U.N. membership in 1949 simultaneously with Israel. Egypt and Jordan did control those territories then. My question was, do you think Egypt and Jordan would have given up that control in order to create an independent Palestine in 1949 if asked to by the U.N.? If not, I'm not sure how the U.N could have done what you suggest.

[Poll_Blind]

3. President Obama talks the two-state solution but he doesn't walk the walk. More "chess".

In Jerusalem, Carter Derides Netanyahu and Obama

PB

[Purveyor]

4. Damn...how did I miss this one. Thanks for the link just the same. eom