Sunday, February 20, 2011

COMMENTARY: US Veto of UN Resolution May Incite War in Middle East

A veto by the US in the UN Security Council last week that blocked a resolution to end illegal Israeli construction of housing on land designated to be part of Palestine, has quashed peace talks, and will probably serve as a harbinger for increased violence and perhaps even war in the Middle East.

The US veto -- the only veto on the resolution approved by all of the other 14 members of the UN Security Council -- in effect killed the resolution and allows Israelis to continue to illegally build housing on the West Bank and in East Jerusalem.

Leaders of more than a dozen Christian churches and organizations had written to President Obama several days before the UN vote, urging the US President to support the UN Security Council resolution, since doing so would greatly enhance the prospect for peace in the Middle East. The church leaders' pleas were obviously ignored by President Obama.

The US veto of the resolution has infuriated Palestinians -- who will not resume peace talks until Israel stops its illegal settlement building -- as Palestinians are calling for a "day of rage" against America next Friday (February 25) -- one week after the vote in the Security Council.

In fact, one Palestinian leader, Tawfik Tirawi, called the US veto "blackmail" that exposes the true face of America. Tirawa said America's refusal to take a real stand against settlements -- despite opposition in the Security Council and longstanding US policy -- shows "they are liars who pretend to support democracy and peace. Far from it."

Needless to say, Palestinians are infuriated with the US veto and view America as being insincere, since the US had adamantly opposed construction of Israeli settlements during the past several months.

Why did the US change its previous stance, and allow Israel to continue to build homes on Palestinian land by vetoing the resolution in the UN Security Council that would have stopped Israel from doing so? The answer is because the US has been Israel's closest ally since Israel became an independent nation in 1948. But does that mean that the US should encourage war -- rather than peace -- in the Middle East just because it feels it has an obligation to support Israel?

Of course not!

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