By Yoram Getzler. At least according to Mordechai Twersky writing in the Jerusalem Post Magazine of Friday Nov 18th. His headline: “Winning by diplomacy”!
True, many in Israel including myself believed and wrote on the anticipated catastrophe that the Palestinian bid for UN recognition and membership would create. Minister of Defense Ehud Barak used the term “Tsunami” to describe what he thought would be the results of the September UN General Assembly and Security Council involvement in the Israel / Arab conflict would bring unless the Israeli government made some dramatic offers to the Palestinians.
BUT so far at least, it seems that the Palestinian diplomatic efforts have resulted in a big dud. Nothing appears to be happening.
In the Security Council enough states have indicated that they would not support the Palestinian membership bid (including; France, Briton & Columbia) to sink the deal without the necessity of a US veto. Opinions differ on whether it was President Obama’s dynamic speech in the General Assembly or Governor Rick Perry in his Sept 19 press conference who did the most to defeat the Palestinians. In any event Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon and his Ministry colleagues seem to have been successful in warding off the worst possible case scenario that many of us anticipated.
I say “seem to have” and “apparently” because its not over until…, well around here its really never over, it just shifts a centimeter here or there.
In place of the worst case scenario of formal membership in the United Nations itself, we have had acceptance of Palestine as a full member in one of the most influential UN organizations, UNESCO. This opens the door to resolution that will be honored in many non-European countries recognizing Palestinian/Arab claims to many our ancient holy sites. Holy sites that are considered holy only because they have been associated with biblical characters and events. These sites include the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron (Which Abraham is described as having bought from the local people for a cash payment); the Tomb of Rachel our mother which sits on the road to Bethlechem; the Tomb of Joseph in Nablus (biblical Schechm) and even the Western Wall of the Temple Mount. There appears to be no place sacred to the Jewish people which is not claimed by the Muslim world. And now we will have international authentication of the Muslim claim.
I am not so sure that the Palestinian attempts to gain legitimacy within the international community, ie the United Nations is stalled permanently.
I suspect the celebration of our diplomatic victory may be temporary.
Yoram Getzler
