Palestine: Between a Rock and a Hard Place - Ruthlessly Exploitive
19 December 2014
By Stephen Lendman
Imagine a people struggling on their own to survive.
Under longstanding brutalizing occupation. Ruthless by
any standard.
Denied representation by their democratically elected
government. Besieged in Gaza. Attacked at Israel's
discretion. By land, sea and air.
Ruled by longstanding Israeli collaborators. Enforcers
for special benefits they derive.
Having their land systematically stolen. Increasingly
isolated in ghettoized conclaves.
Terrorized for not being Jews. Denied virtually all
rights everyone deserves. Guaranteed under
international law.
Including self-determination. Declared in November
1988. Short of universal recognition.
Within June 1967 borders. With East Jerusalem its
exclusive capital. Its diaspora population able to
return.
Control over its resources, borders, air space and
offshore waters. Full UN membership.
With rights and privileges afforded all other member
states. Why not like the 193 recognized ones? Why left
out? Why are its nearly 12 million people worldwide
excluded. Treated like nonpersons.
PA and Jordanian officials drafted a tepid statehood
resolution. For submission to Security Council
members. An embarrassment and then some.
Ignoring international law. Denying millions of
long-suffering Palestinians their legitimate rights.
All of them. Sacrificing none.
Ones everyone deserves. Pressing for a SC vote before
yearend. If guaranteed nine of 15 Council votes.
Despite Washington's certain veto. Or blocking a
resolution vote. John Kerry threatened sanctions.
Economic and political.
One-sidedly supporting Israel. Wanting fundamental
Palestinian rights denied. They don't matter. Israeli
ones alone are supported.
An unnamed Western diplomat said "Kerry (was) very
very clear that for the United States it was not an
option to discuss whatever text (is prepared) before
the end of" Israel's March election.
Longstanding delay and deny US strategy. Last week, PA
Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said Palestinians
would not push off the vote. Despite Kerry's demand.
"We are completely at odds with Kerry on this matter,"
he said.
"Kerry believes the Security Council vote will
negatively impact the Israeli elections and the
identity of (its) winner…We said, however, that the
bid now will have a positive effect."
Last Monday, chief Palestinian negotiator/longtime
Israeli collaborator Saeb Erekat denied Kerry
mentioning Israel's election as a reason for
postponing a SC vote.
Saying he "heard from Secretary Kerry that they need
time to work a formula. They are against the UN
Security Council."
"They (are) preparing for a plan to have the two-state
solution. We need to prep them. We need to counsel
them. But I didn't hear anything from Secretary
Kerry."
Jordan's UN ambassador/Security Council representative
said his government seeks consensus SC agreement. By
all Council members.
Impossible with US opposition. Its high-pressure
tactics against other SC members.
As things now stand, odds against Palestine getting
nine Council yes votes are extremely high. America's
certain veto looms. If the resolution even comes to a
vote.
Palestinian sources say ICC and other international
agencies' memberships will be sought if its bid fails.
Why they weren't gotten long ago wasn't explained.
Irrespective of its statehood bid.
Abbas is like Obama. Saying one thing. Doing another.
On Saturday, he addressed Fatah party members.
Saying efforts toward advancing a statehood resolution
remain ongoing. Without mentioning a deadline.
Some PA members prefer waiting until January. When new
Council members replace old ones. Including Angola,
Malaysia, New Zealand, Spain and Venezuela.
Replacing Argentina, Australia, Luxembourg, Rwanda and
South Korea. Whether changed membership helps remains
to be seen.
US pressure is formidable. Washington backs virtually
everything Israel wants. Congress is Israeli occupied
territory.
Whether Abbas follows through on submitting a
resolution is far from certain. Alienating America
entails grave risks.
At the same time, Palestinian anger is visceral. Fed
up with occupation harshness. Decades of Israeli
repression.
Relentless land-grabbing. Dead-on-arrival peace talks.
Apartheid worse than South Africa's. Wars at Israel's
discretion.
Dissolution with Washington as an honest broker.
Controlled by Zionist lobby power. One-sidedly
supporting Israel.
Mindless of Palestinian rights. Official UN
recognition of Palestinian statehood has pluses and
minuses.
Occupation harshness won't end. At least not soon.
Land Israel stole won't be returned.
Nor will it stop plundering Palestinian resources. Or
agree to borders conflicting with its own.
Or relinquish its self-declared right to Jerusalem.
What it calls its eternal capital. Or end control over
Palestinian air space and coastal waters.
John Kerry explained what alienating America means.
For starters, US aid entirely ended. Followed by
economic and political sanctions.
Punishing Palestinians for exercising their
inalienable rights. Israel might respond aggressively.
Annexing Palestinian land it controls.
Including over 60% of the West Bank. East Jerusalem in
its entirety. Dispossessing its Arab population. Much
faster than already.
Scrapping any pretense of Israeli/Palestinian
cooperation. Reacting more aggressively than ever to
Palestinians asserting their rights.
Perhaps false flag instigated war on Palestine. The
West Bank and Gaza combined. Inflicting horrific
casualties. Mass destruction.
Making Protective Edge look mild by comparison.
Fascists running Israel and America stop at nothing.
Whatever the cost in human life.
Or horrific misery caused. Rogue states operate this
way. None match US/Israeli ruthlessness.
None their obsession for unchallenged raw power. None
more barbaric in seeking it.
Palestinians have only their will to live free. A
mismatch and then some against America and Israel. All
take. No give.
Ruthlessly exploitive. Determined to keep Palestinians
permanently subjugated. A hugely tough obstacle to
overcome.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached
at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. His new book as
editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in
Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III." http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. Listen
to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests
on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive
Radio Network. It airs three times weekly: live on
Sundays at 1PM Central time plus two prerecorded
archived programs.
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