UN anti-settlement resolution on Israel that passed thanks to an abstention by the U.S is in the top agenda now.
In connection with this issue, Jason Katz, Founder and Principal at The Tool Shed Group in the United States and Former Director of Public Relations and Public Affairs in «American Jewish Committee» gave an exclusive to Eurasia Dairy.
Eurasia Diary : How do you see the UN resolution on Israel?
Jason Katz : The UN Security Council Resolution, passed last week was problematic at best and for quite a few reasons.
First, accounts indicate that the resolution was drafted with a great deal of input from the Palestinian leadership. With due respect, the Palestinian leadership is not exactly known for its honesty or its honest brokering or negotiation of anything.
There are also reports that the Obama Administration took on a strong consultative role in the drafting of the resolution and an active role in guiding it though the vote. This is a scenario that I would not disbelieve, given the seeming antipathy of President Obama and Secretary Kerry toward Israel and its democratically elected leadership, although I would like to take the Secretary at his word that the U.S. did not have such a role. Regardless, it remains a troubling question in my mind.
Although non-binding, the resolution also presents several major diplomatic problems, not the least of which is that it provides a concrete disincentive for the Palestinians to not/never continue final status negotiations with Israel. Putting it in more direct terms, if the UNSC says that the land in question, including Jewish neighborhoods in and around the West Bank, and also including Jerusalem is theirs [Palestinians], why would they ever have an incentive to further negotiate.
It also presents a problem of issue of scope. Those most closely involved have maintained that the Palestinian-Israeli conflict was between those two principals and not an international issue.
From the Israeli side, one must understand that the UNSC just told Israel that their capitol city, Jerusalem, as well as neighborhoods where hundreds of thousands of Israelis live, raise their families and prosper, are occupied territory. How a nation has to comprehend that their capitol and a significant portion of where they live their lives are not theirs? Particularly, when there is no valid historical record to support it.
Jerusalem as an occupied territory is particularly disturbing. Jerusalem has only been the capitol of three nations in recorded history—ancient Israel, Judea and the State of Israel. The city has always been the Jewish capitol…the eternal capital of the Jewish people.
It bears noting that Jerusalem as the capital of Israel has and remains an interreligious city, open to all faiths, particularly those who have a history there—the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the oldest church in the world, the Western Wall, the holiest site to Jews, the Al Aqsa and Dome of the Rock mosques. I can hardly see a city of such religious pluralism and freedom under Palestinian rule.
All in all, the UNSC resolution was another jab at Israel and the Obama Administration’s last swipe at Israel, at least in the UN.
Eurasia Diary: Trump is on Israel side on this issue. Moreover, according to news Trump said he regrets that UN becomes "club for people to get together and have a good time" instead of using its huge potential. What do you think about it?
Jason Katz: President-elect Trump is a hard individual to read. He is not a politician nor is he a diplomat. He is a businessman and businessmen by their very nature “play their cards close to their vest.”
That said, following the UNSC resolution, the President-elect was in contact with Israeli leadership, presumably to alleviate Israel’s fears and anger at the resolution and to reassure Israel that once his Administration took office, the 8 years of bullying and antagonism would be over.
In terms of the President-elect’s comments vis a vis the United Nations, I believe that he sees potential in the UN to solve many of the world’s difficulties. I don’t think that he believes the organization is living up to near its possibilities. Specifically, in terms of Israel, I think he believes, as many do, that the UN has become a Jew/Israel haters club.
Eurasia Diary: Netanyahu has ordered his nation's Foreign Ministry to limit all working ties with the embassies of the 12 UN members who voted in favor of Friday's resolution. Please tell me your viewpoint on this.
Jason Katz: Frankly, I personally understand the Israeli Prime Minister’s anger vis a vis the UNSC resolution. It did a lot of damage. However, I don’t think any nation can afford to ostracize or have limited ties to the nations of the Security Council. I think this may be ultimately self-defeating.
By Fakhri Vakilov
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