United Nations' Website
Every member of the United Nations (UN) Security
Council voted against the United States (US) government’s decision to recognize
Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Click on this link to see the voting and the US
response: https://youtu.be/49kO8Baj-uI
Note the reaction of the US council member. The US
government only respects democracy when it goes its way. Otherwise, its response
is “nobody is going o tell us what to do!”
I believe it is time to put the UN in Haiti, so that
all the money that is generated by having the UN in New York City could go
where it is really needed and would be appreciated!
18 December 2017 – The United Nations Security Council on
Monday failed to adopt the draft resolution that reflects regret among the
body's members about “recent decisions regarding the status of Jerusalem,” with
a negative vote by the United States.
The text, tabled by Egypt, reiterated the United Nations'
position on Jerusalem and would have affirmed “that any decisions and actions
which purport to have altered, the character, status or demographic composition
of the Holy City of Jerusalem have no legal effect, are null and void and must
be rescinded in compliance with relevant resolutions of the Security Council.”
The text would also have called on all States “to refrain
from the establishment of diplomatic missions in the Holy City of Jerusalem.”
A negative vote – or veto – from one of the Council's
five permanent members – China, France, Russia, United Kingdom and the United
States – blocks passage of a resolution.
Therefore, the draft was rejected despite
support from the other four permanent members and from the 10 non-permanent
members.
The vote followed a briefing by Nickolay Mladenov,
Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace process, who said that the
Israel-Palestinian conflict has not seen significant positive moves towards
peace during the reporting period from 20 September to 18 December.
He said that the security situation in Israel and the
occupied Palestinian territory has become more tense in the wake of US
President Donald Trump's decision on 6 December to recognize Jerusalem as the
capital of Israel, citing an increase in incidents, notably rockets fired from
Gaza and clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces.
Uncertainty about future of peace process looms over situation on the ground
“None of the developments on the ground can be divorced
from the
broader context in which they are happening: uncertainties about the future
of the peace process; unilateral actions that undermine the two-state solution;
occupation; and violence,” Mr. Mladenov told the Council.
The Special Coordinator's briefing mainly focused on the status
of implementation of Security Council resolution 2334, which was adopted in
December 2016 by 14 votes, with the US abstaining.
In that text, the Council reaffirmed that Israel's
establishment of settlements in Palestinian territory occupied since 1967,
including East Jerusalem, had no legal validity, constituting a flagrant
violation under international law and a major obstacle to the vision of two
States living side-by-side in peace and security, within internationally
recognized borders.
It underlined that it would not recognize any changes to
the 4 June 1967 lines, including the status of Jerusalem, other than those
agreed by the two sides through negotiations.
“The United Nations maintains the view that Jerusalem is
a final status issue that must be resolved through direct negotiations between
the two parties on the basis of the relevant Security Council and General
Assembly resolutions taking into account the legitimate concerns of both the
Palestinian and the Israeli sides,” Mr. Mladenov stressed, warning that there
is a growing risk that the parties may revert to more unilateral actions.
He said that since the US decision, the Palestinian
leadership canceled meetings with visiting Vice-President Mike Pence, and
called for the establishment of a new mechanism to achieve peace.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has also vowed to
seek unilateral recognition of Palestine and to seek full membership in
international organizations in the absence of a meaningful peace process, Mr.
Mladenov added.
Regarding Israel's settlement activities, housing
construction in occupied Palestinian territory has continued, with
significantly more units advanced and approved in 2017, he said.
For instance, in East Jerusalem, the increase has been
from 1,600 units in 2016 to some 3,100 in 2017.
In addition, 2017 has seen worrying legislative, judicial
and administrative initiatives that aim to change the long-standing Israeli
policy concerning the legal status of the West Bank and the use of private
Palestinian land, Mr. Mladenov warned.
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