Three questions on the anti-settlement UN resolution

Last updated on: December 27, 2016 at 2:24 pm by Jane the Actuary

Three questions on the anti-settlement UN resolution 2016-12-27T14:24:47-06:00 Jane the Actuary

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Obligatory link to context: Ann Althouse (with links in her own post), BBC (containing the claim that Obama orchestrated the resolution), a tweetstorm by Omri Ceren.

Just before Christmas, the UN passed a resolution condemning Israeli settlement in the West Bank and East Jerusalem as in violation of international law, and reiterating the demand that Israel must withdraw from all lands taken from Jordan in 1967, and all Jewish residents as well. Not only did the U.S. abstain from voting rather than using its veto, but Israel accuses the U.S. government of having orchestrated the resolution behind the scenes. This resolution is not a “binding” resolution in the sense that certain Security Council resolutions contain the threat of action against the violator, but Legal Insurrection reports that there are worries that an upcoming “peace conference” in France on January 15 will produce a hasty passed-before-Inauguration-Day “peace deal” that will be imposed by force rather than negotiation.

So:

First, why now?

The Obama administration’s justification for standing back rather than vetoing is simply a “hey, Netanyahu brought it on himself by refusing to stop the settlements; he left us no choice” as well as a certain distancing of the U.S., that all the administration did is stand back while other countries voted. But it seems improbable that a major change in U.S. policy happened, by pure coincidence, just before Obama leaves office. Did Obama orchestrate the resolution? I’m no expert, but it seems to have come out of nowhere, and it seems to me that there must have at least been some signalling that, this time around, the U.S. wouldn’t veto it.

Second, what did Obama hope to accomplish?

Sure, in the “we’re just bystanders” scenario, Obama had no expectation of accomplishing anything, but was simply standing back and letting other countries “do their thing.” But that’s unlikely. Did Obama think that this action would have a real shot at furthering the peace process? (No, not a rhetorical question – a real question for readers.)

Third, what will the ultimate consequences be?

At this point, I happen to be of the opinion that, in all likelihood, my grandchildren will someday be reading about the latest developments in the Peace Process. My opinion is that there should be a true “return to 1967 borders” in that the West Bank goes back to Jordan, but that individual Jewish property owners retain their property rights under Jordanian rule, rather than being ethnically cleansed, and that Israel retains Jerusalem because, well, it’s Jerusalem.

But the consequences of this particular resolution?

Look, the UN, and all kinds of other governments and other bodies have condemned the war in Syria. It’s all talk. Will this resolution be any different?

Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AThe_Western_Wall_and_Dome_of_the_rock_in_the_old_city_of_Jerusalem.jpg; By Yourway-to-israel (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Uncategorized

Israel

Palestinian conflict

Previous Post

December 25, 2016

The "True Meanings" of Christmas

Next Post

December 27, 2016 The Three State Solution

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Actuarial/Retirement Issues Politics Uncategorized

Select a Month September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 December 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 August 2021 June 2021 April 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who was sold into slavery by his brothers?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Dan Joseph Benjamin Judah