Ramzy Baroud - Palestine 2017: Time To Bid Farewell to Washington and Embrace the Globe
There is no doubt that
the UN Security Council condemnation of Israel on Friday was an important and
noteworthy event. True, the United Nations’ main chambers (the Security Council
and the General Assembly) and its various institutions, ranging from the
International Court of Justice to the UN cultural agency, UNESCO, have
repeatedly condemned the Israeli occupation, illegal Jewish settlements and
mistreatment of Palestinians.
In fact, unlike the 23 December resolution 2334, the past UN condemnations
were far stronger – for some resolutions did not just demand an immediate halt
of illegal Jewish settlement construction, but the removal of existing
settlements as well. There are up to 196 illegal settlements on occupied
Palestinian land, in addition to hundreds of settler outposts. These
settlements host up to 600,000 Jewish settlers, who were
But what makes this
particular resolution important? First, the US neither vetoed the resolution
nor threatened to use its veto power; nor did it even seriously lobby, as it
often does to soften the wording in advance. Second, it is the
first decisive and clear condemnation of Israel by the UN Security Council in
nearly eight years – almost the entirety of President Barack Obama’s terms in
office.
Third, the vote took
place despite extraordinary Israeli pressure on the current US administration,
on the forthcoming administration of Donald Trump and successful pressure on
Egyptian President Abdul Fattah Al-Sisi. Indeed, Egypt delayed the vote, which
was scheduled a day earlier, before New Zealand, Senegal, Malaysia and
Venezuela stepped up and put the resolution to a vote, a day later.
Doubtless, the UN
resolution – like all others – remains rather symbolic as long as there are no
practical mechanisms to ensure the enforcement of international law. Not only
will Israel not respect the United Nations’ will but is, in fact, already
accelerating its settlement activities in the Jerusalem area, in defiance of
that will.
The Jerusalem
municipality had announced that 300 housing units will be built in the illegal
settlements of Ramat Shlomo, Ramot, and Bit Hanina while the Security Council
members were preparing for the vote on the “legal invalidity” of the Jewish
settlements. The Palestinian National Authority, on the other hand, is already
celebrating another symbolic “victory”, which is readily being marketed to
unamused Palestinians as a major step towards their freedom and their
independent state.
The UN resolution was,
indeed, keen on ensuring the two-state illusion is perpetuated further, which is
all that the leadership of Mahmoud Abbas has needed to continue to push for an
unattainable mirage. With all this in mind, there is a lesson – and a valuable
one – that must be registered at this moment: without US backing, Israel, with
all of its might, is quite vulnerable and isolated in the international arena. The outcome of the
vote was quite telling: 14 Security Council members voted “yes”, while the US
abstained. The vote was followed by a rare sight at such meetings, a sustained
applause, where countries that hardly agree on much, agreed full-heartedly on
the justness of Palestinian aspirations and the rejection of Israeli practices.
Think about this for a
moment: the relentless efforts by Israel and the US to intimidate, coerce and
bribe UN members, so as to sideline the international community from the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict, is failing utterly. All it took is a mere US
abstention from the vote to expose the still solid international consensus
regarding Israel’s illegal actions in Palestine.
In an emblematic sign
of hope, the vote brings to a close the year 2016, which has been a harsh one
for Palestinians. Hundreds of Palestinians were killed during this year
in clashes in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza; hundreds of homes have been
partly or wholly demolished and damaged; thousands of acres of land have been
confiscated by Israel, and countless olive trees toppled.
The next year hardly
promises to be any kinder, as the new US administration under Trump exhibits
all the signs that suggest US support of Israel will remain steadfast, if not
take an even darker turn. Rightly so, as the appointment of pro-settlement hardliner David Friedman
as the new US ambassador to Israel carries with it terrifying prospects.
Friedman and his ilk
have no regard for international law or any respect for US current foreign
policy regarding the Israeli occupation, the illegality of the settlements
(considered an “obstacle to peace” under various administrations) and is eager
to relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. All of this is
quite ominous, and the freshly passed resolution should not advance the
illusion that things are changing. Nonetheless, there is hope.
The resolution is a
further affirmation that the international community is unconditionally on the
side of Palestinians and, despite all the failures of the past, still advocates
the respect of international law. This reminder takes place at a time when the
Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement is moving from
strength to strength, galvanizing civil societies, campuses and trade
unions all over the world to take a stance against the Israeli occupation.
While the rights of
Palestinians do not register in the slightest in the radar of US foreign policy
interests (which sees its alliance with strong Israel as far more important
than the needs of disjointed Arab countries), Palestinians can still forge a
new strategy that is predicated on the strong support they continue to garner
from the rest of the world.
Israel can be blamed
for much, but Palestinians deserve much of the blame, too, for their own
disunity, infighting and corruption. They must not expect their efforts,
however sincere, to yield freedom and liberation when they are incapable of
forming a united front. This should be done by overhauling the Palestine
Liberation Organization (PLO) and bringing all Palestinian factions under one
single platform that caters to the aspirations of all Palestinians, at home and
in “shattat” (diaspora).
The Palestinian
leadership needs to understand that the age of ineffectual American leadership
is over. No more lip service to peace and handouts to the PA, while bankrolling
the Israeli military and backing Israel politically. The next administration is
pro-Israeli administration, absolutely. This may be the clarity Palestinians
need to understand that begging and pleading for American compassion will not
suffice. If a united
Palestinian leadership does not seize the opportunity and regain the initiative
in 2017, all Palestinians will suffer. It is time to move away from Washington
and to embrace the rest of the world.
