Palestinians vent their rage at American veto

[nalnn]

Source: Arab News.com

RAMALLAH, West Bank: Around 3,000 Palestinians on Sunday protested against the US veto that nixed a UN Security Council resolution on Israeli settlements. The crowd massed in Ramallah's Manara Square, a central roundabout in the West Bank city, waving banners and shouting slogans against the US administration.

"Obama, you despicable man, we want self-determination!" shouted protesters, many of them members of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party.

Fatah Central Committee member Mahmoud Al-Alul told the crowd: "This decision is against the Palestinian people and its freedom, and it supports Israeli injustice, oppression and occupation. We tell (President Barack) Obama that we are a people that doesn't bow to anyone."

In Jenin, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad accused the United States of blackmail amid Palestinian allegations that Washington threatened to cut aid if the settlements resolution was not withdrawn. "We didn't and will not accept blackmail and neither will our people," Fayyad said. "We are not interested in aid from any party that threatens to cut it for political reasons.

Read more: http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article275721.ece

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I thought the administration had said that they would be rebuking Israel over this very thing. Is it the legality vs. illegality argument over the settlements in the West Bank that brought this veto?

[Javaman]

1. Any wonder why various people around the world hate us? nt

[social_critic]

10. I think Mr Bush said it was because America stands for freedom

Or something like that.

[Javaman]

11. LOL good one! :)

cheers!

[bhikkhu]

2. This really sucks.

The worst thing is we've (the State Department) been doing this crap for decades - saying one thing, doing another, intervening against our own interests even - and very few people in the US are ever aware of it.

[civilisation]

3. Clearly the US supports the continued removal of the rest of Palestinians form their land.

What other explanation is there?

The USA supports, and pays for, the Israelis to continue their pushing out of the people whose land they have taken,. truly power-monger empire at its worst.

[social_critic]

12. Dictionary Definition you may wish to consider

As a public service, I'd like to offer the following links:

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ethnic+cleansing

Ethnnic Cleansing - The systematic elimination of an ethnic group or groups from a region or society, as by deportation, forced emigration, or genocide.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_cleansing

Ethnic cleansing "is a purposeful policy designed by one ethnic or religious group to remove by violent and terror-inspiring means the civilian population of another ethnic or religious group from certain geographic areas. (Commission of Experts Established Pursuant to United Nations Security Council Resolution 780)".

I am bringing this up because there are some differences of opinion regarding what ethnic cleansing means, so I thought I would post these definitions to make sure the readership does understand the definition isn't crystal clear.

[Maineman]

4. Same old crap from our (US) government

[whathehell]

7. Yeah...More "change we can believe in".

[Scottybeamer70]

5. why the surprise?

The US has vetoed every UN resolution against Israel for many years.
Pres. Carter verified the elections in Palestine, but the US refused
to accept the "democratic vote", because it didn't satisfy the outcome
the US expected. I don't blame the Palestenians for being furious.
Their land and homes are being stolen, and the US always turns a blind eye.
For once, the rest of the world sees what is going on......the US....not so much.
Israel is obviously not interested in PEACE...........they are only interested
in acquiring land.....and as much as possible.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[nalnn]

8. Huh

I wonder what was in post 5 up there to get it pulled. Oh well.

So, to the answer of my question in the OP, this U.S. did say they would 'rebuke' Israel over settlements(?) and then vetoed the measure because they didn't want to call the settlements 'illegal'. Am I understanding the circumstance correctly?

[nalnn]

9. Oops

Miscounted. I meant the post that got deleted not Scotty's post.