This week Israel authorised the building of 3000 houses on Palestinian land in East Jeruslam. This is illegal but the rest of the world watches on passively as Israel continues their strategy to cut the West Bank in half and make Palestinian statehood almost impossible. I wonder why Israel chose this week to make this move…!?
Earlier in the week the UN General Assembly passed a resolution which recognised Palestine as a non-member state with observer status. As BBC Middle East Bureau Chief Paul Danahar tweeted it is the word ‘state’ which is important as this is another step along the road towards being accepted by the world as a country in its own right.
However, the vote wasn’t passed unanimously. Less than 5% of nations voted against the resolution and joining the United States and Israel were Canada, Panama, Czech Republic and those huge and influential nations called Palau, Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Nauru. Despite being part of a tiny minority it is tragic that Israel and United States are able to hold Palestine in such an oppressive grip.
This tragedy is allowed to happen because dozens of other countries are, I believe, too chicken. Amongst others Great Britain abstained – despite William Hague’s reasoning I believe we are just too under the thumb of the United States to take a stand on Palestine. I think it’s time that the United States and Israel accept they’re in the minority on this instead of churning out media that gives the impression they hold a rational point of view that stands on the moral high ground.
Countries that recognise the state of Palestine
As you can see from the map above it is pretty much only the ‘West’ that doesn’t recognise Palestine as a nation in its own right. But I suppose we must be right because we are the free West after all.