THE USA: As the Rest of the Civilized World Moves to Recognize The Palestinian State, US Representatives RUSH to Oppose It

by Scott Creighton

Civilized World:

European Union: "On Monday, the European Union reaffirmed its readiness to recognize a Palestinian state at an “appropriate” time. However, it stopped short of an outright recognition... the statement demands that a way be found to resolve the status of Jerusalem “as the future capital of two states” and calls for a just solution to the refugee problem (the Arab demand that Israel allow millions of Arabs descended from those who fled during the War of Independence to “return” to the cities in which their grandparents and great-grandparents once lived)."

Brazil: "President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva writing a letter to Abbas in which he wrote that  Brazil recognizes “Palestine” and hopes that the recognition will help lead to two states, Israel and Palestine, “that will co-exist peacefully and in security.”

Argentina: "... recognizes a Palestinian state, calling Palestine “a free and independent state within its 1967 borders,” an announcement which Argentina said reflects its frustration at the slow progress of peace talks with Israel.

Uruguay: "Uruguay announced soon afterwards it would recognise a Palestinian state next year. "Uruguay will surely follow the same path as Argentina in 2011," deputy foreign minister Roberto Conde said."

The Rest of the World: "The United Nations has recognised the permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem as a matter of international law. General Assembly resolution 64/185, 21 December 2009 was adopted by a vote of 165 in favor to 8 against, with 7 abstentions. The right of permanent sovereignty over natural resources is a "valid norm of international law."^[151] Franz Perrez wrote that "The principle of permanent sovereignty over natural resources is a fundamental principle of contemporary international law. It emerged in the 1950s during the process of decolonization as a basic constituent of the right to self-determination and an essential and inherent element of state sovereignty."

And then you have the United States Congress:

"Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— Calls upon the Administration to: ... lead a diplomatic effort to persuade other nations to oppose a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state and to oppose recognition of a Palestinian state by other nations, within the United Nations, and in other international forums prior to achievement of a final agreement between Israel and the Palestinians; and affirm that the United States would (i) deny recognition to any unilaterally declared Palestinian state and (ii) veto any resolution by the United Nations Security Council to establish or recognize a Palestinian state outside of an agreement negotiated by the two parties"  US House of Representatives, Dec. 2010

Conclusion:

Email sent to me from End the Occupation:

"Dear Scott,

 We are outraged to learn that Rep. Howard Berman, Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is trying to push through Congress today a resolution “condemning unilateral declarations of a Palestinian state.” 

As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote in his famous “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,”the worst stumbling block to freedom’s advance is the person who “paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man's [or woman’s] freedom.”

Yet, this is exactly what Rep. Berman’s resolution seeks to do: subjugate Palestinian freedom and self-determination to Israel’s indefinite timeline.  As MLK said, “‘Wait’ has almost always meant ‘Never.’”

We’re asking you to take action now because this resolution will be voted on today.  (By the way, the text of the resolution isn’t even public yet, but we got our hands on a copy of it, which we’re publishing below.)  Here’s what you can do:

1. Sign our petition to Rep. Berman letting him know that it is wrong for the United States to put a timeline on Palestinian freedom and self-determination. 

If we get 5,000 signatures before the vote, we will hand deliver the signatures to Rep. Berman to let him know in person how outraged you are by his resolution.  Help us reach our goal now by signing the petition and then spreading the word.

2.  Call your Representative and ask him/her to vote “no” or “present” on this resolution and to speak against it on the House floor.  After you sign the petition, you will be redirected to a page where you can enter your zip code and then get the phone number for your Representative."

Long Live Palestine