UN To Vote On Change of Palestine Status to Non-Member Observer On Thursday

[taxi]

The situation is different now compared to back when Israel was just created. Most Jews moved back because they were happy to have a new home. Is the situation now the same?

I would move to Iran before I migrate to Israel not because am biased but because of safety concerns. I would be more safe in Iran than in Israel which is always having conflicts with Palestinians. In fact, I don't take you seriously when you say you would rather move to a nation that is always under attack than nations who are less likely to be attacked by terrorists like China or Russia.

[Pouria]

So you're saying Israel is likely to be attacked by terrorists? Well that doesn't seem very nice. And probably a reason people choose not to immigrate there in the first place. Where do those dastardly terrorists come from? Hmmmm

[Pouria]

Well your still wrong. Hundreds of thousands of Jews have moved to Israel since the USSR collapsed. Jews would much rather live in Israel than Russia.

[taxi]

Well, Russians would much rather live in Russia than Israel. Just ask Radulov.

[Pouria]

Nope. There are many Russians who fake Jewish backgrounds to try and gain entry into Israel. Russia has a shrinking population. People want out.

[taxi]

Well, why would they go to Israel? If they want out, isn't US, Canada or Australia better options? I mean I would never want to live in Israel because of the ongoing conflicts they have with Palestine and personal safety. I don't want a rocket hitting my head when am walking down the street but thats just me.

[Pouria]

Immigration policies. The USA, Canada, and Australia aren't exactly open doors. I do, however, agree that Canada is a better place to live than Israel. In fact, for me anyways, it's the best place to live.

That being said the fact that millions of arabs continue to hold Israeli citizenship despite having the option to leave and that Jews from all the world have flocked there says something about the quality of life there and the rights Israeli citizens enjoy.

[theminister]

The US didn't even have to tug on our leash for this one.

Anyways, MORE SETTLEMENTS ARE REQUIRED.

[taxi]

Why? The population of Israel is set to decline rapidly over the next couple of decades without huge immigration.

Heck, the percentage population of Jewish people in the country is at an all time low nearing 75%.

Settlements are not a demographic requirement. They are a political tool.

[theminister]

Not at all true.

The average Jewish woman, as of 2011, gives birth to 2.98 babies and rising. In order to maintain a population you need about a 2.1 baby average per woman.

The muslim birthrate is 3.51 and falling.

The issue of demographics will also be largely impacted by a land swap. It's likely that Israel will give land with high muslim populations to the new Palestinian state in the future. The arab population is largely concentrated in certain areas of Israel.

[DarthNinja]

Nope. There are many Russians who fake Jewish backgrounds to try and gain entry into Israel. Russia has a shrinking population. People want out.

[Tearloch7]

A great group, if anyone is interested: ..

Avaazers, it's time to celebrate!

Hours ago, the UN voted overwhelmingly to recognise Palestine as the world's 194th state!!! It’s a huge victory for the Palestinian people, for peace, for our community, and people across the world are joining with massive crowds in Palestine to celebrate.

The Palestinian people's journey to freedom is far from over. But this is a powerful step, and our community played a key role in it. Responding to the vote, Palestine's Ambassador to Europe said:

"Avaaz and its members across the world have played a crucial role in persuading governments to support the Palestinian people's bid for a state and for freedom and peace. They have stood with us throughout and their solidarity and support will be remembered and cherished across Palestine." - Leila Shahid, General Palestinian Delegate to Europe

Brussels Action: While EU leaders met, THIS was happening right outside their windows Madrid Action: Avaaz members want Spain PM Rajoy to say YES!

The US and Israeli governments; beholden to extreme lobby groups (yes, sadly even Obama has given in), threw everything they had at crushing this vote, using financial threats and even threatening to overthrow the Palestinian President if he went ahead. Europe was the key swing vote, and under intense US pressure, leaders were, just two weeks ago, leaning towards not supporting the Palestinian state. Knowing the stakes, our community responded with the speed and democratic force that we needed to win:

• Nearly 1.8 million of us signed the petition calling for statehood.

• Thousands of us donated to fund public opinion polls across Europe -- showing that a whopping 79% of Europeans supported a Palestinian state. Our polls were plastered all over the media, and repeatedly cited in Parliamentary debates in the UK, Spain and France!

• We sent tens of thousands of emails, Facebook messages and Tweets to leaders across Europe and made thousands of calls to foreign ministries and heads of state.

• We unfurled a giant 4-storey banner outside the EU Commission in Brussels (right) while leaders were meeting inside. Then, we staged another stunt in Madrid. Previously, we had sailed a flotilla of ships past the UN calling for a vote. Our actions made headlines all over Europe.

• Avaaz staff and members met with dozens and dozens of government ministers, top advisors, senior journalists, parliamentarians and thought leaders in each of the key countries, in many cases teaming up to win over leaders one by one through advocacy, pressure, parliamentary resolutions and public statements, always drawing on the surge in people power behind this cause.

• We reached out to key thought leaders like Stéphane Hessel, a 94-year old survivor of Nazi concentration camps, and Ron Pundak, an Israeli who played a key role in Oslo peace process, to speak out in favour of statehood.

One by one, key European states broke with the US to answer the call of justice and their peoples. In the final vote tally we got just now, only 9 countries out of 193 have voted against! France, Spain, Italy, Sweden and most of Europe has voted for Palestine.

The US and Israel argued first that statehood was dangerous for peace, and then, when they'd lost, that it didn't matter and the vote was just symbolic. But if it were just symbolic they wouldn't have done everything to try and stop it. And after years of bad-faith negotiations and Israeli comfort with the status quo as they steadily colonize more Palestinian land, this move shows the US and Israel that if they do not engage in good faith, the Palestinians and the world are prepared to move forward without them. It's a more balanced basis for real peace talks. And that's the best alternative to the kind of violence we saw Israel's government and Hamas offer in Gaza this month.

For decades the Palestinian people have suffered under a stifling Israeli military dictatorship, repressive controls on their travel and work, continual denial of their rights and the constant threat of insecurity and violence. 65 years ago yesterday, the UN recognized the state of Israel, beginning a path to the establishment of a safe home for the Jewish people. Now the Palestinians take a step down the same path, and gain a dignity in the eyes of the international community that they have been denied for a generation. And from that dignity, we can build the foundations of peace.

With hope and joy,

Ricken, Alice, Ari, Wissam, Allison, Sam, Julien, Pascal, Wen, Pedro, Saravanan, Emma, Ben, Dalia, Alexey, Paul, Marie, Aldine, Luca, Jamie, Morgan and the whole Avaaz team.

PS Here are some sources - The Associated Press covers today's victory, the Guardian covers our polling two weeks ago, Avaaz's Daily Briefing provides a map of the vote result, and Haaretz describes Israel's response

[Dellins]

Why? The population of Israel is set to decline rapidly over the next couple of decades without huge immigration.

Heck, the percentage population of Jewish people in the country is at an all time low nearing 75%.

Settlements are not a demographic requirement. They are a political tool.

[theminister]

Yeah, sorry Dellins.

Israel/ Palestine causes so much derp it's impossible to tell which is which.

[Dellins]

Yeah, sorry Dellins.

Israel/ Palestine causes so much derp it's impossible to tell which is which.

[key2thecup]

Ron Paul: Blind support of Israel leads to unexpected consequences

by Ron Paul

As of late Friday the ceasefire in Gaza seems to be holding, if tentatively. While we should be pleased that this round of fighting appears temporarily on hold, we must realize that without changes in US foreign policy it is only a matter of time before the killing begins again.

It feels like 2009 all over again, which is the last time this kind of violence broke out in Gaza. At that time over 1,400 Palestinians were killed, of which just 235 were combatants. The Israelis lost 13 of which 10 were combatants. At that time I said of then-President Bush’s role in the conflict:

It’s our money and our weapons. But I think we encouraged it. Certainly, the president has said nothing to diminish it. As a matter of fact, he justifies it on moral grounds, saying, oh, they have a right to do this, without ever mentioning the tragedy of Gaza…. To me, I look at it like a concentration camp.

The US role has not changed under the Obama administration. The same mistakes continue. As journalist Glenn Greenwald wrote last week:

“For years now, US financial, military and diplomatic support of

Israel

has been the central enabling force driving this endless conflict. The bombs Israel drops on Gazans, and the planes they use to drop them, and the weapons they use to occupy the West Bank and protect settlements are paid for, in substantial part, by the US taxpayer…”

Last week, as the fighting raged, President Obama raced to express US support for the Israeli side, in a statement that perfectly exemplifies the tragic-comedy of US foreign policy. The US supported the Israeli side because, he said, “No country on Earth would tolerate missiles raining down on its citizens from outside its borders.” Considering that this president rains down missiles on Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and numerous other countries on a daily basis, the statement was so hypocritical that it didn’t pass the laugh test. But it wasn’t funny.

US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton traveled to Tel Aviv to meet with Israeli prime minister Netanyahu, but she refused to meet with elected Palestinian leaders. Clinton said upon arrival in Israel, “America’s commitment to Israel’s security is rock-solid and unwavering.” Does this sound like an honest broker?

At the same time Congress acted with similar ignobility when an unannounced resolution was brought to the House floor after the business of the week had been finished; and in less than 30 seconds the resolution was passed by unanimous consent, without debate and without most Representatives even having heard of it. The resolution, H Res 813, was so one-sided it is not surprising they didn’t want anyone to have the chance to read and vote on it. Surely at least a handful of my colleagues would have objected to language like, “The House of Representatives expresses unwavering commitment to the security of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state with secure borders…”

US foreign policy being so one-sided actually results in more loss of life and of security on both sides. Surely Israelis do not enjoy the threat of missiles from Gaza nor do the Palestinians enjoy their Israel-imposed inhuman conditions in Gaza. But as long as Israel can count on its destructive policies being underwritten by the US taxpayer it can continue to engage in reckless behavior. And as long as the Palestinians feel the one-sided US presence lined up against them they will continue to resort to more and more deadly and desperate measures.

Continuing to rain down missiles on so many increasingly resentful nations, the US is undermining rather than furthering its security. We are on a collision course with much of the rest of the world if we do not right our foreign policy. Ending interventionism in the Middle East and replacing it with friendship and even-handedness would be a welcome first step.

http://www.ronpaul.c...d-consequences/

[Harbinger]

Australia

New Zealand

Iceland

Sri Lanka

Malta

Bermuda

Madagascar

A trend?

[Harbinger]

The world needs to rid itself of Israel. Israel just needs to be gone. I don't mean by killing everyone. I mean by making it completely uninhabitable.

[Special Ed]

The world needs to rid itself of Israel. Israel just needs to be gone. I don't mean by killing everyone. I mean by making it completely uninhabitable.

[Ossi Vaananen]

The world needs to rid itself of Israel. Israel just needs to be gone. I don't mean by killing everyone. I mean by making it completely uninhabitable.