US Congress votes to oppose declaration of Palestinian state

[freepalestine]

US Congress votes to oppose declaration of Palestinian state

Thursday December 16, 2010 22:10 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News [/URL]


The US House of Representatives voted Wednesday to condemn recent efforts by the Palestinian Authority to achieve unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state, a resolution that was cheered by the largest Zionist lobbying organization, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).http://www.revleft.com/vb/../attachments/dec2010/us_congress.jpg
US Congress (archive photo)

The resolution, introduced by California Representative Howard Berman, was titled “Supporting a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and condemning unilateral measures to declare or recognize a Palestinian state.”

It included a number of statements by US Secretary of State Clinton and other US officials calling for negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, and said that the US “reaffirms its strong support for a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict resulting in two states, a democratic, Jewish state of Israel and a viable, democratic Palestinian state, living side-by-side in peace, security, and mutual recognition; [and] reaffirms its strong opposition to any attempt to establish or seek recognition of a Palestinian state outside of an agreement negotiated between Israel and the Palestinians.”

The resolution also referenced the decision by both Brazil and Argentina to recognize a Palestinian state, and said that the US would veto any move by the United Nations Security Council to recognize a Palestinian state.

53 Congressmembers co-sponsored the resolution, and it passed in a voice vote without objection. [URL]http://imemc.org/article/60195 (http://www.revleft.com/vb/../report_posts?subject=Report post: Story 60195 with title: US Congress votes to oppose declaration of Palestinian state&message=Report post: Story 60195 with title: US Congress votes to oppose declaration of Palestinian state%0Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.imemc.org%2Findex.php%3Fo bj_id%3D53%26story_id%3D60195%26%0A%0AEnter+your+r eason+here+-+please+do+not+remove+the+above+link+as+it+will+al low+an+editor+to+easily+remove+the+offending+conte nt)

[Kiev Communard]

It is unsurprising. Israel is major ally of the U.S. imperialism in the region, and after Turkey began some attempts at rapprochement with Iran and Syria, its value became even higher. I am fairly certain the rest of the Western powers will follow the suit.

[Impulse97]

Perhaps, they could do two states in the area with Jerusalem under international control (Perhaps UN?).:hammersickle::trotski::hammersickle:

[blake 3:17]

AIPAC lauds U.S. House resolution opposing unilateral declaration of Palestinian state

Resolution urges Palestinian leaders to cease all efforts at circumventing negotiations, including efforts to gain recognition of a Palestinian state from other nations.

By Natasha Mozgovaya (http://www.haaretz.com/misc/writers/natasha-mozgovaya-1.493) Tags: Israel news (http://www.haaretz.com/meta/Tag/Israel%20news) AIPAC (http://www.haaretz.com/meta/Tag/AIPAC)


America's largest pro-Israel lobby AIPAC lauded Thursday the United States House resolution opposing unilateral declaration of Palestinian state, and called for the resumption of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
"AIPAC supports the House's call for a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its strong opposition to efforts to seek recognition of a Palestinian state outside of an Israeli-Palestinian agreement," a statement released by the Jewish organization read.
"We join the House in support of the Obama Administration's opposition to a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state and join it in calling on the Administration to persuade other nations to oppose such a declaration,' the statement added.
The resolution calls on the U.S. administration to "deny recognition to any unilaterally declared Palestinian state and veto any resolution by the United Nations Security Council to establish or recognize a Palestinian state outside of an agreement negotiated by the two parties."
It also urges Palestinian leaders to "cease all efforts at circumventing the negotiation process, including efforts to gain recognition of a Palestinian state from other nations, within the United Nations, and in other international forums prior to achievement of a final agreement between Israel and the Palestinians… and calls upon foreign governments not to extend such recognition."
Earlier this week, the European Union decided not to recognize unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state, as such a move could harm efforts to resume the Middle East peace process.
The 27 EU foreign ministers were meeting in Brussels a day after chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat wrote a letter to foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, urging the body to back its efforts to rope in the international community.
The EU ministers agreed to help Gaza authorities expand the capacity of their border crossings by buying and installing security equipment, training border personnel and building up the road network.
More on this topic

U.S. House opposes unilateral declaration of Palestinian state (http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/u-s-house-opposes-unilateral-declaration-of-palestinian-state-1.330922)
Palestinians appeal to European countries: Recognize statehood even without peace deal (http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/palestinians-appeal-to-european-countries-recognize-statehood-even-without-peace-deal-1.330945)

[blake 3:17]

53 Congressmembers co-sponsored the resolution, and it passed in a voice vote without objection.

Nobody spoke up?

[ckaihatsu]

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The resolution, introduced by California Representative Howard Berman, was titled “Supporting a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and condemning unilateral measures to declare or recognize a Palestinian state.”

It included a number of statements by US Secretary of State Clinton and other US officials calling for negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, and said that the US “reaffirms its strong support for a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict resulting in two states, a democratic, Jewish state of Israel and a viable, democratic Palestinian state, living side-by-side in peace, security, and mutual recognition;








Separate but equal was a legal doctrine in United States Constitutional law that justified systems of segregation. Under this doctrine, services, facilities and public accommodations were allowed to be separated by race, on the condition that the quality of each group's public facilities were to remain equal. The phrase was derived from a Louisiana law of 1890.[1]





Under the 'separate but equal doctrine', blacks were entitled to receive the same public services and accommodations such as schools, bathrooms, and water fountains, but states were allowed to maintain different facilities for the two groups. The legitimacy of such laws under the 14th Amendment was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in the 1896 case of Plessy v. Ferguson, 163 U.S. 537. The Plessy doctrine was extended to the public schools in Cumming v. Richmond County Board of Education, 175 U.S. 528 (1899).

Although the Constitutional doctrine required equality, the facilities and social services offered to African-Americans were of lower quality than those offered to whites; for example, many African-American schools received less public funding per student than nearby white schools. In Texas, the state established a state-funded law school for whites without any law school for blacks.

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

[FreeFocus]

Pretty much expected of the US. It will never genuinely support a Palestinian state.

Palestinians don't need anyone's permission to be free of imperialism (which a state won't guarantee at all, but I'm talking about the principle here).

[gorillafuck]

US congress reaffirms their support of the colonization of Palestine. Nobody should be surprised.


Perhaps, they could do two states in the area with Jerusalem under international control (Perhaps UN?).:hammersickle::trotski::hammersickle:
I'd much rather a non-seperated, socialist solution not under the control of the UN.

[Impulse97]

I'd much rather a non-separated, socialist solution not under the control of the UN.


Whys that?:hammersickle::trotski::hammersickle:

[gorillafuck]

Whys that?:hammersickle::trotski::hammersickle:
I'm a socialist so I support a socialist solution, and not under control of the UN because the UN is under the control of capitalists/imperialists.

[blake 3:17]

Perhaps, they could do two states in the area with Jerusalem under international control (Perhaps UN?).

Like other folks above I'm in favour of a one state solution. There were two state solutions in the past that may have been workable. Some of the more sensible ones came from the Israeli moderate Right -- that each state would have access to water and natural resources and practical transportation lines within the region.

There is also no reason to have any faith in the UN as an agent especially on this issue. Israel has perpetually defied UN resolutions, here's a link to them via Jews Against the Occupation: http://www.jatonyc.org/UNresolutions.html

For those of us not in the region, the best we can do is promote the BDS (Boycott, Divest and Sanctions) movement. Lots is happening. You can probably find a local or regional group, event or campaign here: http://www.bdsmovement.net/

Israeli Apartheid Week is coming up. There've been amazing events internationally to mark it, to educate ourselves, and to have helpful honest discussion about the national and international dimensions to the conflict.

See also what's happing with the Gaza Freedom March: http://gazafreedommarch.org/cms/en/home.aspx The GFM is both humanitarian and political.

[L.A.P.]

Perhaps, they could do two states in the area with Jerusalem under international control (Perhaps UN?).:hammersickle::trotski::hammersickle:

The purpose of a nation should never be to serve as a homeland for one ethnic group. Jewish people should be free to immigrate to Palestine but not take it over.

[blake 3:17]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Impulse97 http://www.revleft.com/vb/revleft/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.revleft.com/vb/showthread.php?p=1961468#post1961468)
Perhaps, they could do two states in the area with Jerusalem under international control (Perhaps UN?).:hammersickle::trotski::hammersickle:
The purpose of a nation should never be to serve as a homeland for one ethnic group. Jewish people should be free to immigrate to Palestine but not take it over.


The Palestinians should be able to erect their own borders.

For those of us on the imperialist side of the fence, we should push for no borders.

I don't see any reason to support immigration to Israel. Guest workers, IDF volunteers, settlers... Not OK

[Jazzhands]

the US “reaffirms its strong support for a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict resulting in two states, a democratic, Jewish state of Israel and a viable, democratic Palestinian state, living side-by-side in peace, security, and mutual recognition; [and] reaffirms its strong opposition to any attempt to establish or seek recognition of a Palestinian state outside of an agreement negotiated between Israel and the Palestinians.”

I love how she contradicts herself within the same sentence. If the US supports a two-state solution, but opposes the recognition of the second state, then they support, in essence, a one-state solution but one that is tailored to their interests, which means that they'll push for Israel to wipe out the Palestinians as part of a general plan to destroy opposition to US rule, like they're already doing now.