At UN, Israel Blamed for
Spread of Terror Across the Region, By Patrick
Goodenough | November 24,
2015 | 4:15 AM EST
The U.N. marks the
International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, in New York on
Monday, November 23, 2015. (UN Photo/Rick Bajornas)
(CNSNews.com) – Amid a
wave of jihadist terrorism in France, Sinai, Lebanon and Mali, members of the
United Nations met on Monday to focus on “Palestine,” with several speakers
accusing Israel of fueling the violence across the region.
“The continued Israeli
occupation of Arab and Palestinian territory is the main challenge before the
international community to achieve peace and stability in the region and the
world,” said Arab League secretary-general Nabil al-Arabi, in a speech read out
by his representative.
“This occupation
represents the main cause for the spread of terrorism and extremist ideology in
the region,” he said. “Failure to find a
just solution to the Palestinian cause – as the core issue in the Middle East –
has started fueling conflicts in the region, threatening to affect
international peace and security,” said Organization of Islamic Cooperation
(OIC) Secretary-General Iyad Ameen Madani.
In a speech read on
his behalf by an envoy, Madani also accused Israel of carrying out “aggressions
against the blessed al-Aqsa mosque” warning that its actions “feed extremism,
violence and racism and contribute to igniting religious strife that would
endanger the prospects of peace and stability in the region.”
The leader of the
Islamic bloc called on the international community to intervene urgently,
saying finding a solution depends on “applying pressure on Israel to cease its
continuing aggression against the Palestinian people.”
The OIC’s members
include some of the most volatile and terror-affected countries in the world,
including Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, Egypt, Somalia and Pakistan.
None of the conflicts in those countries are related to the Israeli-Palestinian
issue.
U.N. officials
themselves have sought to draw a link between jihadist terrorism and the
Israeli-Palestinian dispute.
Last Thursday, the
U.N.’s “special coordinator on the Middle East peace process,” Nickolay
Mladenov, told the Security Council that resolving the Palestinian issue would
help counter the extremism behind the “abhorrent terrorist attacks” in Paris,
Beirut and the Sinai.
“We cannot separate
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from this global threat,” he said. Monday’s
meeting in New York kicked off an annual intensive U.N. focus on the
Israeli-Palestinian issue. This year’s U.N. “International Day of
Solidarity with the Palestinia People,” Nov. 29, falls on a Sunday so was marked instead on Monday.
Later on Monday, the
U.N. General Assembly began considering a raft of reports and draft resolutions
related to two ongoing agenda items, “the question of Palestine” and “the
situation in the Middle East.”
(At the U.N., the “situation
in the Middle East” does not refer to
the situation in the Middle East writ large – for example, to developments in
Syria, Iraq, Yemen or Iran – but deals solely with Israel and its relations
with the Palestinians and neighbors like Syria.)
‘Biased resolutions
and empty symbols’
Since early October, a
spate of Palestinian terrorism has killed 22 Israelis in knife and gun attacks
in Jerusalem and other parts of Israel. According to Palestinian officials 90
Palestinians have been killed over the same period. Israel says many of those
were killed while carrying out attacks.
The surge came amid
tensions surrounding a Jerusalem site revered by Jews and Muslims, known by the
former as the Temple Mount and the latter as the Haram al-Sharif. Israel
accuses Palestinian leaders and media of inciting violence by accusing Israel
of somehow threatening the al-Aqsa mosque which is located there.
Most of the statements
delivered at the “Palestine” committee session on Monday morning were silent on
the issue of the anti-Israeli terror attacks.
An exception was a
statement by U.N. deputy secretary-general Jan Eliasson, who referred to
“heinous attacks, stabbings, shootings and attacks” which he said caused
“immense suffering among Israelis and Palestinians alike.”
For his part, Arab
League chief al-Arabi described the situation as follows: “While the world
seeks to achieve just peace, the occupied Palestinian territory sees volatility
since early October,” he said, adding that Israeli practices have “led to the
killing of many Palestinian people, most of whom are women and children.”
“The Israeli
right-wing extremist government made racist decisions allowing extremist
settlers and the military to kill Palestinians and use live ammunition against
them,” al-Arabi added.
Speaker after speaker
accused Israel of racism, “apartheid,” violation of Islamic sanctities,
torture, dehumanizing behavior, and acting “above the law.”
Israeli ambassador to
the U.N. Danny Danon blasted the world body for again promoting resolutions
that lay the blame solely on Israel.
“Let no one be fooled.
No amount of biased resolutions and empty symbols will bring the change that
the people of the region so desperately need,” he told the General Assembly.
“You can raise a
Palestinian flag here in the U.N., but as long as the Palestinians fail to
raise a generation committed to peace and reconciliation, there will be no end
to violence,” Danon said. “As long as those in this chamber do not demand that
Palestinian leaders make the difficult decisions needed for peace, no rhetoric
will improve the lives of the Palestinian people.”
Comments
In 1948,
when Israel was formed, Israelis we attacked and the attacks never ended. Israel successfully defended its borders
against Arab attacks ever since 1948. In
1967, a coalition of Arab countries led by Egypt attempted to launch a massive
attack on Israel, but Israel kicked their ass and seized a large buffer
zone. The Arabs screamed to get back
these taken lands as Israelis determined which lands were critical for
defense. Israel had meeting with the
Arabs and offered seized land for peace, but Arabs continued to break the
peace. Israel moved back from Gaza and gave up other areas, but retained
control of the West Bank and move non-assimilating Muslims out.
The Arabs
are still at it. Their recent tactic is
terrorism. The US needs to declare that
the West Bank and anything else Israel wants belongs to Israel and stop the
regressive talks.
Norb
Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
From the desk of
Mat Staver
The U.N. Human Rights Council held a special
"debate" on Monday when leaders of 14 mostly Arab and Muslim nations
blasted Israel for alleged "heinous" crimes, terrorism and human
rights violations - among other severe allegations.
UN Watch issued this snapshot of the groups' many
allegations ...
. Qatar on behalf of the 22-nation Arab Group decried
Israel's "violence and terrorism worldwide."
. Saudi Arabia lambasted Israel for subjecting Palestinians
to "the worst forms of terrorism, oppression and intimidation."
. Kuwait "categorically" condemned the
"heinous crimes of Israel."
. Iraq decried Israel's "policy of discrimination,
collective
punishment and killing."
. Libya criticized Israel for "wanton murder" and
the "Judaization of Jerusalem."
Of course, nothing was said about Saudi Arabia, which
follows cruel sharia law and uses punishments like whipping, amputation and
public beheadings.
It is a shameful outrage that these agenda-driven,
anti-Semitic nations have a forum at the United Nations to voice massive
distortions. How absurd that Libya would condemn Israel for the
"Judaization of Jerusalem," the ancient capital of the Jewish people.
Many of the participating nations are also involved in the
pro-Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanction (BDS)
movement. Backers of the BDS movement are petitioning the UN Human Rights Commission
(UNHRC) to take action against governments and groups which oppose the
anti-Israel BDS campaign.
Hillel Neuer, the Executive Director of UN Watch, denounced
the U.N. session for "pronouncements. disconnected to reality."
"In reality, Israel, with all its flaws, is the only
country in the
Middle East whose hospitals treat Palestinians and Israelis;
Jews,
Muslims and Christians; the only country in the Middle East
that respects women's rights; the only country in the Middle East that respects
the rights of minorities; and the only country in the Middle East that is a
world leader in developing vital technologies such as desalination, water
treatment, and drip irrigation."
Stand with Israel and against the BDS Movement
We must not stand silent while others viciously slander the
Jewish state. That's why Christians in Defense of Israel is rallying pro-Israel
Americans like you to stand against the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions
Movement (BDS), which seeks to delegitimize and, ultimately, destroy Israel.
Right now, the Combating BDS Act of 2016 is trapped in the
House Financial Services Committee (H.R. 4514), and in the Senate Committeeon
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs (S.2531).
There is an unwelcome movement among certain Democrat lawmakers
to oppose language in the anti-BDS Act - and even a call for investigations
into alleged Israeli war crimes. These senators' demands are also in concert
with the Obama administration's call that Israel must return to its pre-1967
borders, including a divided Jerusalem.
BDS must be stopped . . . and the Combating BDS Act of 2016
must become law this year!
Our "I Stand Against the Anti-Israel "Boycott,
Divestment, and Sanctions Movement!" petition calls for passage of these
congressional initiatives against the hateful BDS Movement, and notifies
American and Israeli leadership of our solidarity with Israel.
Our goal is to deliver the petitions to leaders on Capitol
Hill, to Israeli leadership, and to the United Nations' Human Rights Council - but
we cannot consider delivering the petitions with less than 50,000 signatures,
which means we need tens of thousands more signatures right away.
Please join with us in this important campaign by simply
adding your name to the petition at:
<http://www.grassrootsaction.com/r.asp?U=706991&RID=46928756>
<http://www.grassrootsaction.com/r.asp?U=706992&RID=46928756>
Mat Staver, President Christians in Defense of Israel
Liberty Counsel, the parent organization of Christians in
Defense of Israel, with offices in Florida, Virginia and Washington, D.C.,
Comments
The UN set up a refugee camp next to the new state of Israel
in 1948 that served as a base of operations for attacks by Arabs on
Israel. Saudis and other Arab countries
emptied their prisons and insane asylums, put these crazies on busses and
bussed them to the camps. When the terrorists
in the camps made claims that they represented a “Palestinian territory” that
was worthy of nationhood, dumb politicians listened. Israelis had unwisely
welcomed Muslims to live in peace in Israel. Knowing that there are good Muslims and bad
Muslins, Israel fell into the trap. But
after 68 years of being attacked by Muslims, you just get sick of it.
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
