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

[Coda]

Arab + Iranian agenda?? If Iran ever attacked Israel, it will be because Israel attacked them first. The majority of the world has decided to recognize the Palestinian state yet you oppose this because of what you think might happen to Israel in the future? That is such a self-centered ideology.

[Special Ed]

Define many?? I see the comments sections in most of the articles regarding this story and I see many Canadians upset. Maybe you should speak for yourself.

[Hobble]

[Pouria]

The reason why Canada still doesn't have a UN Security Council seat is because of its change in foreign policy which is pretty much tilted in favor of Israel and unpopular positions which was criticized by most of the UN members. During the voting process, not only Canada not get the Cuba, Venezuela, Belarus, China, Uganda, Saudi Arabia vote, but they also didn't get votes from consistent allies over the last 60 years like Norway, Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Sweden and France.

[Coda]

Another Israeli "peace" gesture:

JERUSALEM — As the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to upgrade the Palestinians’ status Thursday night, Israel took steps toward building housing in a controversial area of East Jerusalem known as E1, where Jewish settlements have long been seen as the death knell for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

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A Vote Elates Palestinians and Worries Israel

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Construction in the West Bank settlement of Maale Adumim last June. More Photos »

A senior Israeli official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said on Friday that the decision was made late Thursday night to move forward on “preliminary zoning and planning preparations” for housing units in E1, which would connect the large settlement of Maale Adumim to Jerusalem and therefore make it impossible to connect the Palestinian cities of Ramallah and Bethlehem to Palestinian neighborhoods of East Jerusalem. Israel also authorized the construction of 3,000 housing units in other parts of East Jerusalem and the West Bank, the official said.

The prime minister’s office refused to comment on whether the settlement expansion — first reported on Twitter by a reporter for the Israeli daily Haaretz — was punishment for the Palestinians’ success in upgrading its status from nonmember observer entity to nonmember observer state at the United Nations, but it was widely seen as such. The United States, one of only eight countries that stood with Israel in voting against the Palestinians’ upgrade, has for two decades vigorously opposed construction in E1, a 3,000-acre expanse of hilly parkland where a police station was opened in 2008.

In Washington, a State Department official criticized the move. “We reiterate our longstanding opposition to settlements and East Jerusalem construction,” he said. “We believe it is counterproductive and makes it harder to resume direct negotiations and achieve a two-state outcome.”

Hagit Ofran, who runs the Settlement Watch project of Peace Now, called E1 a “deal breaker for the two-state solution” and denounced the decision as “disastrous.”

“Instead of punishing the Palestinians, they are actually punishing Israel,” Ms. Ofran, who is Israeli, said in an interview. “Instead of taking advantage of this bid in the U.N. and calling for negotiations to get to a two-state solution, this government is choosing to take actions that might prevent the possibility of a two-state solution.”

But Dani Dayan, leader of Israel’s settler movement, welcomed the news, saying it was “a very important Israeli interest to develop E1.”

He described the two-state solution as “an existential threat to Israel” and said the E1 development was “beneficial for peace because a two-state solution is a prologue for another bloody confrontation.”

“The fear to develop the communities is not rational,” Mr. Dayan said. “The opposition to the settlements has become a kind of religious dogma for the West.”

Even Mr. Dayan, however, said he did not like the idea of expanding settlements “as a sort of retaliatory or punitive step.”

“Under the circumstances that we understand the government operates, I think it’s O.K.,” Mr. Dayan added. “We have a legal and a political and a moral right to build. It’s strategic for Jerusalem; to strengthen Jerusalem is the only horizon. We don’t see it as an obstacle to peace.”

Michael R. Gordon contributed reporting from Washington

[Pouria]

Comments section? Lol. Maybe because the unhappy people post and the happy ones go about their business.

[Special Ed]

Arab + Iranian agenda?? If Iran ever attacked Israel, it will be because Israel attacked them first. The majority of the world has decided to recognize the Palestinian state yet you oppose this because of what you think might happen to Israel in the future? That is such a self-centered ideology.

[Pouria]

Hardly: I am not Israeli or Jewish. I happen to believe that abetting countries and groups of people who have continuously stated they want to destroy Israel and kill Jews is a bad idea.

I find it odd that you criticize me for thinking of future consequences of current events. I would argue failure to do this would be quite idiotic.

[Pouria]

The rest of the world. So like Somalia? Syria? Libya? Africa? Some other obscure and unknown countries that nobody wants to live in?We should just definitely just follow the rest of the herd right off the cliff.

[Special Ed]

Your perceived future consequence of current events is just a seed of propaganda which US and Israel is trying to spread. Am sorry but Palestine deserves to be a recognized state and most of the world agrees with me. Your reasoning of why you oppose this is what makes it a self-centered ideology. I guess Iran, Syria and other Arab nations shouldn't be recognized states since they hate Israel.

[Pouria]

Nobody even wants to live in Iran, Syria and other Arab nations. Every iranian i know was happy about the embassy closure and doesnt want to return to iran. that says the most to me, when a person doesnt even want to live in their own country. i couldnt even imagine what it would take for me to move out of canada permanently. Those citizens have been permanently moving west. And others wish they could but only can't afford to. If your own country can't even support and become a place where it's inhabitants wish to live then it's a failed nation in my opinion. May as well not be recognized at all. And Palestine will just be another failed nation. Not that I want it to, but that's just how I see it.

[Tearloch7]

One could ask oneself why these states are failing .. combination of religion and oppression .. those two go together so well .. what is the "enlightened west" doing to help lift those nations from their morass? .. in most cases they are helping perpetuate the situation .. there are no easy answers but some folks will do all they can to prevent people finding those answers .. US paying lip service to any Middle East peace process does no good for anyone involved .. dark days ahead for all I think ..

Maybe the Muslim Brotherhood will take on a more active role politically throughout the area .. maybe THAT will force Israel to the peace table ..

[DonLever]

The Isareli government just authorized the construction of 3000 new homes in the West Bank.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/israel-okays-west-bank-settlement-construction-17846867

This move certainly show what the Israeli government think of yesterdays UN vote. They gave the finger to it.

The Israelis just don't get it. They are in denial on why the world voted against them. Only 9 countries out of 193 supports them without reservation. Unfortunately, Canada is one of them.

[Special Ed]

Hey, I know most of my Russian friends don't want to live in Russia. Most of the Chinese people probably rather live in Canada than in China. I guess those nations are also failed nations. Your reasoning of what should and should not be a recognized state is flawed. Going by your logic, only Canada and US should be a recognized state since everyone likes to live here and other countries are just a craphole.

[Pouria]

The Isareli government just authorized the construction of 3000 new homes in the West Bank.

http://abcnews.go.co...uction-17846867

This move certainly show what the Israeli government think of yesterdays UN vote. They gave the finger to it.

The Israelis just don't get it. They are in denial on why the world voted against them. Only 9 countries out of 193 supports them without reservation. Unfortunately, Canada is one of them.

[Pouria]

From what I have seen you definitely don't want to live in Russia or china. The ones that do simply don't know what they're missing in my opinion. Again to me those countries FAIL on the most basic principles of providing their citizens with one of the best places in the world to live. My logic is not that only Canada and the US are the only recognized states. I never said that.

[Special Ed]

You are a piece of work aren't you? Here is a question for you. Who wants to live in Israel? I guess Israel is a failed state too.

[Dellins]

The Isareli government just authorized the construction of 3000 new homes in the West Bank.

http://abcnews.go.co...uction-17846867

This move certainly show what the Israeli government think of yesterdays UN vote. They gave the finger to it.

The Israelis just don't get it. They are in denial on why the world voted against them. Only 9 countries out of 193 supports them without reservation. Unfortunately, Canada is one of them.

[Pouria]

Actually I'm going to change my stance. When Israel was created didn't Jews from across the world immigrate to Israel? Even despite constant attacks and the threat of terrorism. I'm going to think this one over but interesting question.

[Special Ed]

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.