Tag Archive for UNGA

| November 29, 2012
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UN vote turns terrorists into ‘freedom fighters’ & disputed territory into ‘occupied land’

Rhetoric aside, here are the legal ramifications of the status change with the Palestinian Authority: UN vote turns terrorists into ‘freedom fighters’ and disputed land into ‘occupied land’.

By Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik

 

Two Palestinian goals at UN:
Have all disputed land declared “occupied”
and have terrorists declared legitimate freedom fighters

The Palestinian Authority wishes to achieve a number of political gains by having the UN vote today, recognizing “Palestine” as a non-member observer state. First, all lands that are disputed and whose future must be negotiated according to the Oslo Accords, the PA wants declared Palestinian “occupied territory.” Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: ,
| November 29, 2012
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Former PM Olmert: No reason to oppose Palestinian UN bid for statehood status

Ex-prime minister Ehud Olmert tells Daily Beast that Palestinian request for upgraded UN status is congruent with 2-state solution, and says UN General Assembly resolution will lay foundation for peace talks.

By Yitzhak Benhorin

 

Washington – Despite an aggressive campaign by the United States to head off a UN vote on the Palestinian Authority’s bid for an upgraded status, the General Assembly was expected to grant the request on Thursday. And former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says he sees no reason to resist the move.

אולמרט ואבו מאזן. ארכיון (צילום: רויטרס)

Olmert with Abbas – Archive photo: Reuters

“I believe that the Palestinian request from the United Nations is congruent with the basic concept of the two-state solution. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , ,
| November 29, 2012
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PA will turn to ICC if evidence found that Arafat was murdered

Palestinians will soon have access to international courts following its UN statehood status upgrade on Thursday.

By JPOST.COM STAFF

The Palestinian Authority indicated it would take Israel to the International Criminal Court if it uncovers evidence Israel assassinated former PLO chairman Yasser Arafat, something that could become possible if the PA obtains an upgrade to its statehood status in the UN this week.

International Criminal Court in the Netherlands - Photo: REUTERS/Michael Kooren

International Criminal Court in the Netherlands – Photo: REUTERS/Michael Kooren

Speaking to reporters at a new conference in Ramallah on Tuesday, PA investigator Tawfiq Tirawi said Palestinians were gathering evidence about Arafat’s death in order “to submit [it] to the International Criminal Court,” Palestinian news agency Ma’an reported.

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Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , ,
| November 28, 2012
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Israeli Embassy posts video slamming Abbas – Ashrawi says US stance ‘pathetic’

The Israeli embassy in Washington has uploaded a video to YouTube which has sparked debate with an animated portrayal of PA President Abbas as he’s driving a bus on a road to the UN

Elior Levy, Reuters

 

RAMALLAH – Britain said it would support a Palestinian bid for a diplomatic upgrade at the United Nations if it received assurances that the Palestinians would return to peace talks and would not seek to prosecute Israelis through the International Criminal Court.

מסיבת העיתונאים ברמאללה (צילום: אוהד צויגנברג)

‘Wrong side of morality.’ Ashrawi’s press conference in Ramallah Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg

“Up until the time of the vote itself we will remain open to voting in favour of the resolution if we see public assurances by the Palestinians,” Foreign Secretary William Hague told parliament on Wednesday. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , ,
| November 28, 2012
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In anticipation of Palestinian UN bid, diplomatic tension rises

 

Israel is strongly opposed to the statehood bid & is concerned the Palestinians will ask the Int’l Criminal Court at the Hague to prosecute its leaders

France was the 1st to acknowledge a “yes” vote,  Germany expected to vote “no” or abstain.

Britain still unsure, seeks Palestinian guarantees they will refrain from applying to The Hague

U.S. Congress may withhold funding to the Palestinian Authority.

By Yoni Hirsch, Shlomo Cesana, News Agencies & Israel Hayom Staff

 

France announced Tuesday that it plans to vote in favor of upgrading the Palestinians to an “observer state” at the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday.

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Category: Mid-East News | Tags: ,
| November 27, 2012
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France will recognize Palestinian upgraded status at UN

FM Fabius tells French Parliament that he will vote in favor of Palestinian non-member status at UN, but says Palestinian state can only be achieved ‘through negotiations’ with Israel.

By Reuters

 

France said on Tuesday it would vote in favor of Palestinian non-member status at the United Nations, boosting Palestinian efforts to secure greater international recognition.

‘Concern for coherency.’ Fabius – Photo: AFP

Frustrated that their bid for full UN membership last year was thwarted by US opposition in the UN Security Council, Palestinians have launched a watered-down bid for recognition as a non-member state, similar to the status the Vatican enjoys. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , ,
| November 24, 2012
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Palestinians bid for statehood recognition next week

Washington urges Israel not to build in ‘Area E-1’, between Jerusalem & Ma’aleh Adumim as a punitive response to PA statehood bid.

Washington is urging Israel not to allow construction in the area known as E-1 between Jerusalem and Ma’aleh Adumim as a possible response to the Palestinian bid for statehood recognition next week at the UN, The Jerusalem Post has learned.

PA President Mahmoud Abbas addresses UNGA - Photo: REUTERS

PA President Mahmoud Abbas addresses UNGA – Photo: REUTERS

Building in E-1, which would create contiguity between Jerusalem and Ma’aleh Adumim to the northeast beyond the Green Line, is something various Israeli governments have long wanted to do, but which US opposition has prevented.

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Category: Mid-East News | Tags: ,
| September 27, 2012
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Israeli leader focuses on Iran’s ‘aggression’ while Palestinian leader accuses Israel of ‘ethnic cleansing’

“It’s not a question of whether Iran will get the bomb. The question is at what stage can we stop Iran from getting the bomb,” Netanyahu said.

By Michael Martinez, CNN

 

(CNN) — Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas asked the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday for nonmember observer status, one step up from the authority’s current position as a permanent observer.

Abbas was later followed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who criticized Abbas’ speech but focused more on excoriating Iran’s attempts to develop nuclear weapons.

Benjamin Netanyahu, prime minister of Israel, speaks during the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, September 27, at U.N. headquarters in New York. The event unites more than 100 heads of state and government for high-level meetings on nuclear safety, regional conflicts, health and nutrition and environment issues.

Benjamin Netanyahu, prime minister of Israel, speaks during the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, September 27, at U.N.

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Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , , ,
| September 26, 2012
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Morsi’s debut speech to UN: End Israeli occupation

In his first address before General Assembly, Egyptian president committed to treaties and urges int’l community to work toward establishing Palestinian state & ‘changing identity of occupied Jerusalem.’

Yitzhak Benhorin

 

NEW YORK – Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi on Wednesday urged the international community to work immediately toward the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within “all the occupied territories.”

In a belligerent debut speech before the UN General Assembly, Egypt‘s first democratically-elected president called for immediate progress that would “put an end to the colonialism and the settlements and change the identity of occupied Jerusalem.”

Three months after winning the general elections as the candidate of the Muslim Brotherhood movement, Morsi told the UN, “I am the first Egyptian president who was elected in a democratic vote at the end of the revolution.” Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: ,
| September 26, 2012
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Iranian leader at UN: Iran is being threatened by ‘uncivilized Zionists’

Addressing the UNGA, Ahmadinejad says Israel’s ‘threat to resort to military action a bitter example of intimidation by nuclear weapons.’

By Reuters

 

Iran is under threat of military action from “uncivilized Zionists,” a clear reference to Israel, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday, saying that such threats from big powers are designed to force nations into submission.

“Continued threat by the uncivilized Zionists to resort to military action against our great nation is a clear example of this bitter reality,” Ahmadinejad said in a 33-minute speech before the UN General Assembly.

Ahmadinejad addresses UN (Photo: AP)

Ahmadinejad addresses UN – Photo: AP

Israel and the United States have refused to rule out the possibility of an armed strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, which the West suspects are intended to produce nuclear bombs but which Tehran says are for solely peaceful purposes. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: ,
| August 4, 2012
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Palestinians to seek UN statehood bid at General Assembly

Palestinian FM Riyad al-Malki says Palestine will seek status of non-member observer state during next UN General Assembly, a move that will allow them to join UN agencies & Int’l Criminal Court

 

By Reuters

 

The Palestinians will next month renew a bid to upgrade their status at the United Nations, their foreign minister said on Saturday, a move which could strengthen their statehood claims after talks with Israel stalled.

Riyad al-Malki Photo: AFP

FM Riyad al-Malki
Photo: AFP

Palestinians are listed as a UN observer “entity” with no voting rights. They will ask to be made a non-member observer state at the UN General Assembly on Sept. Continue Reading »

Category: Mid-East News | Tags: , ,
| August 4, 2012
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Prosor Impugns Syria’s Veracity in Fiery UN Speech

Ron Prosor, Israel’s ambassador to the UN,  fiercely attacks Syria and its ambassador’s truthfulness in a speech to the General Assembly.

By Elad Benari, Canada

 

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Ron Prosor, fiercely attacked Syria and the Syrian ambassador to the UN during a speech to the General Assembly on Friday.

Prosor accused Syrian President Bashar Assad’s ambassador of spreading lies and hiding the reality that takes place in Syria.

Referring to the issue of the chemical weapons being held by the Syrian regime, Prosor said, “A leader who brutally slaughters children today will not hesitate to use chemical weapons against them tomorrow.” Continue Reading »

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