Palestinian Authority has announced its application in wanting to become a member country of the United Nations. This announcement made the Israeli authority extremely furious. Israel has come out with a stern warning and said action taken by the Palestinian authority will end with a "tragic result." In addition, Israel has even given Palestine the hint that not only the Israeli authority will not allow Palestine to become an independent country; it will even annex some of its lands. As it stands, the United States and the European Union (EU) are getting very nerves over this recent development by the Palestinian authority in wanting to become an UN member.
Israeli-Palestinian Negotiating Table
On one hand, they warned the Palestinian regime that such action taken by the Palestinian authority will result in the United States and the EU cutting off their aid and assistance to the Palestinians; on the other, they also quickly dispatched special envoy to meet up with Palestinian and Israeli leaders respectively. They hope that at the eleventh hour, they can convince the Palestinian authority to give up its action in wanting to file a membership application to the United Nations but will instead choose to return to the Israeli-Palestinian negotiating table to settle their disputed border.
However, we must understand that it has been a dream for the Palestinians to become an independent country for a long time now. For more than 20 years in the past, the Palestinian authority has already engaged in numerous rounds of peace talks with the Israeli regime to settle the territorial dispute. Palestinians also hope that they can become an independent state under some kind of peaceful negotiation atmosphere. But until today, there is still no progress in the peace talk between the Palestinian authority and the Israeli authority. Palestinians are in a "desperate" stage now. They have no other choice but to apply to the United Nations and ask the UN member countries to recognize it as an independent nation. It is difficult for Europe and the United States to tell the Palestinians not to file an application as an UN member.
Pragmatic Solution
As the situation stands now, although the United States and European nations are rather anxious about the application of UN membership by the Palestinian authority, the only measure they can do at this moment is try to persuade the Palestinian authority not to apply as an UN member; however, until today, the West especially the United States still cannot find a pragmatic solution which is acceptable by the Palestinian authority to resume peace negotiation talk with Israel. The last Israeli-Palestinian talk was held more than a year ago. But at that peace talk, due to the fact that the Israeli authority has insisted on the continual construction of the Jewish settlements in the Palestinian territories, the peace talks has broken down eventually.
Palestinian-Israeli Border Conflict
However, the Palestinian authority's demand now is different. The Palestinian authority has, besides insisting that the Israeli side must stop constructing permanent settlements in the Palestinian land, it also demands that the revived peace negotiation talk on the Palestinian-Israeli border must be based on the Palestine territory before the Six Day War held on 1967. In addition, the Palestinian authority also said that the peace negotiation talk with the Israeli regime must be based on the principle that East Jerusalem would become the future capital of Palestine. But all these conditions set by the Palestinian authority are also the terms firmly opposed by the Israeli side. As such, the special envoys sent by the United States and European nations to the respective Israeli and Palestinian side can only say all the good things they can say in the hope that eventually the Israeli authority and the Palestinian authority can resume peace talk between them. Yet in reality, they can only do the "talking" they cannot persuade either side to give in a little bit of concessions to the other side in order to cut a negotiation deal. So, the lobbying miss ions of the US and European envoy to Israel and Palestine are doomed to fail.
US Support to Israel
In fact, on the pending Palestinian demand in wanting to file in an application for UN membership, US President Obama has also faced with a sense of helplessness. On one hand, President Obama does not want to offend the powerful and influential Jewish community in the United States, and on the other, President Obama also does not want to further alienate the Arab countries if the United States chooses to support Israel. However, after weighing the types of interests he can obtain from both sides, in the end, President Obama still chose to support the Israeli authority and will prevent the application of the UN membership by the Palestinian authority.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the authority that represents the Palestinians, is determined to submit an application for Palestine to become an UN member to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on 23 September. However, according to the spokesperson of the Palestinian authority, if a "trusted choice" favorable to the Palestinian authority can emerge prior to 23 September; the Palestinian authority will still take it into consideration. However, due to the shortage of lead time, there is no indication to show that the Israeli regime will soften its position on its peace negotiation term with the Palestinian authority. It is thus unavoidable for a new round of fight between the Israel authority and the Palestinian authority to emerge in the United Nations in the coming days.
Israeli-Palestinian Negotiating Table
On one hand, they warned the Palestinian regime that such action taken by the Palestinian authority will result in the United States and the EU cutting off their aid and assistance to the Palestinians; on the other, they also quickly dispatched special envoy to meet up with Palestinian and Israeli leaders respectively. They hope that at the eleventh hour, they can convince the Palestinian authority to give up its action in wanting to file a membership application to the United Nations but will instead choose to return to the Israeli-Palestinian negotiating table to settle their disputed border.
However, we must understand that it has been a dream for the Palestinians to become an independent country for a long time now. For more than 20 years in the past, the Palestinian authority has already engaged in numerous rounds of peace talks with the Israeli regime to settle the territorial dispute. Palestinians also hope that they can become an independent state under some kind of peaceful negotiation atmosphere. But until today, there is still no progress in the peace talk between the Palestinian authority and the Israeli authority. Palestinians are in a "desperate" stage now. They have no other choice but to apply to the United Nations and ask the UN member countries to recognize it as an independent nation. It is difficult for Europe and the United States to tell the Palestinians not to file an application as an UN member.
Pragmatic Solution
As the situation stands now, although the United States and European nations are rather anxious about the application of UN membership by the Palestinian authority, the only measure they can do at this moment is try to persuade the Palestinian authority not to apply as an UN member; however, until today, the West especially the United States still cannot find a pragmatic solution which is acceptable by the Palestinian authority to resume peace negotiation talk with Israel. The last Israeli-Palestinian talk was held more than a year ago. But at that peace talk, due to the fact that the Israeli authority has insisted on the continual construction of the Jewish settlements in the Palestinian territories, the peace talks has broken down eventually.
Palestinian-Israeli Border Conflict
However, the Palestinian authority's demand now is different. The Palestinian authority has, besides insisting that the Israeli side must stop constructing permanent settlements in the Palestinian land, it also demands that the revived peace negotiation talk on the Palestinian-Israeli border must be based on the Palestine territory before the Six Day War held on 1967. In addition, the Palestinian authority also said that the peace negotiation talk with the Israeli regime must be based on the principle that East Jerusalem would become the future capital of Palestine. But all these conditions set by the Palestinian authority are also the terms firmly opposed by the Israeli side. As such, the special envoys sent by the United States and European nations to the respective Israeli and Palestinian side can only say all the good things they can say in the hope that eventually the Israeli authority and the Palestinian authority can resume peace talk between them. Yet in reality, they can only do the "talking" they cannot persuade either side to give in a little bit of concessions to the other side in order to cut a negotiation deal. So, the lobbying miss ions of the US and European envoy to Israel and Palestine are doomed to fail.
US Support to Israel
In fact, on the pending Palestinian demand in wanting to file in an application for UN membership, US President Obama has also faced with a sense of helplessness. On one hand, President Obama does not want to offend the powerful and influential Jewish community in the United States, and on the other, President Obama also does not want to further alienate the Arab countries if the United States chooses to support Israel. However, after weighing the types of interests he can obtain from both sides, in the end, President Obama still chose to support the Israeli authority and will prevent the application of the UN membership by the Palestinian authority.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the authority that represents the Palestinians, is determined to submit an application for Palestine to become an UN member to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on 23 September. However, according to the spokesperson of the Palestinian authority, if a "trusted choice" favorable to the Palestinian authority can emerge prior to 23 September; the Palestinian authority will still take it into consideration. However, due to the shortage of lead time, there is no indication to show that the Israeli regime will soften its position on its peace negotiation term with the Palestinian authority. It is thus unavoidable for a new round of fight between the Israel authority and the Palestinian authority to emerge in the United Nations in the coming days.
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