Procrastination and Hypocrisy Characterize Resolutions on Palestine, Nuclear Weapons

In: Washington report on Middle East affairs, Band 34, Heft 1

Abstract

As usual, as 2014 draws to a close, Palestine and Israel dominate the contested part of the UN agenda. And as usual, the debates and diplomatic tussles involve huge amounts of hypocrisy. The US is firmly and vociferously against countries that break international law, and against nuclear proliferation -- unless, of course, one particular member state with too many friends in Congress is on the agenda. In December, the Arab states were about to move a resolution in the Security Council to accept Palestine into full UN membership, which certainly has the backing of most of the UN members in the General Assembly. It also called for Israeli withdrawal from the occupied territories by 2016. A group of European states reportedly is countering with a procrastinatory resolution calling for a two-year timeline for peace talks. It is insincere and unprincipled, even though it probably will be superficially less sensitive to Israeli standing than American diplomats would dare be. Adapted from the source document.