Eretz Israel is our unforgettable historic homeland...The Jews who will it shall achieve their State...And whatever we attempt there for our own benefit will redound mightily and beneficially to the good of all mankind. (Theodor Herzl, DerJudenstaat, 1896)

We offer peace and amity to all the neighbouring states and their peoples, and invite them to cooperate with the independent Jewish nation for the common good of all. The State of Israel is ready to contribute its full share to the peaceful progress and development of the Middle East.
(From Proclamation of the State of Israel, 5 Iyar 5708; 14 May 1948)

With a liberal democratic political system operating under the rule of law, a flourishing market economy producing technological innovation to the benefit of the wider world, and a population as educated and cultured as anywhere in Europe or North America, Israel is a normal Western country with a right to be treated as such in the community of nations.... For the global jihad, Israel may be the first objective. But it will not be the last. (Friends of Israel Initiative)

Monday 16 October 2017

David Singer: America and Israel Quit UNESCO Over “Palestine” Fiasco

Here's the latest article by Sydney lawyer and international affairs analyst David Singer.

He writes:

UNESCO’s decision to admit “Palestine” as a member state in 2011 in apparent breach of UNESCO’s own Constitution has come back to bite UNESCO with a vengeance – as America and Israel now give formal notice of their intention to quit UNESCO on 31 December 2018.

State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert asserted America’s decision was not taken lightly and reflected US concerns with mounting arrears at UNESCO, the need for fundamental reform in the organization, and continuing anti-Israel bias at UNESCO.

American arrears owing for UNESCO dues now total US$550 million.

UNESCO anti-Israel decisions since “Palestine” was admitted to UNESCO membership have included:
1. January 2014 – the cancellation of an exhibition at its Paris headquarters on the Jewish presence in the land of Israel
2. October 2016 – disregarding any Jewish ties to the Temple Mount - only referring to it by its Muslim names – then several weeks later - passing a softer version of the resolution that referred to the Western Wall by its Jewish name - though still ignoring Judaism's ties to the site.
3. May 2017 – UNESCO’s executive committee passing a resolution critical of Israeli conduct in Jerusalem and Gaza.
4. July 2017 – designating Hebron and the two adjoined – shrines at its heart – the Jewish Tomb of the Patriarchs and the Muslim Ibrahimi Mosque  as a "Palestinian World Heritage Site in Danger".
UNESCO appears to have acted outside the terms of its own Constitution in admitting “Palestine” to membership.

That decision was open to possible legal challenge for two reasons:
1. Only states can be admitted to UNESCO under Article II (2) of UNESCO’s Constitution - and “Palestine” was not a state,
2. 129 votes from 193 members were required to admit “Palestine” – not the 107 votes received from those “present and voting”. 14 had voted against, 52 abstained and another 21 were absent from the vote.
UNESCO’s questionable and highly controversial decision should have been referred to the International Court of Justice under Article XIV (2) of UNESCO’s Constitution to determine whether:
1. “Palestine” was a “State” entitled to membership of UNESCO.
2. 129 votes or 107 votes were required for “Palestine’s” admission to UNESCO
UNESCO did not seek this judicial interpretation – which would have cost it US$100000 – even though I presented it with detailed reasons why it should.

Had the International Court ruled “Palestine’s” admission to UNESCO was unlawful – then the American funding tap would have been turned on again five years ago.


Instead UNESCO lobbied the Americans to cough up what amounted to 22 per cent of UNESCO’s annual budget. That lobbying was never going to succeed – since the chances of Congress backing away from America’s domestic law mandating the suspension of funds to any United Nations Agency that accepted the PLO as a full member – outside of negotiations with Israel – was doomed to failure

Australia’s Head of Mission – Ms Gita Kamath – gave Australia’s reasons for its negative vote at the time:
“Our decision to vote against reflects Australia’s strong concern that consideration of Palestinian membership in UNESCO is premature. The matter of Palestinian membership of the UN has recently been placed before the UN Security Council for its consideration. We should allow the United Nations Security Council process to run its course rather than seek first to address this question in different UN fora.
Our decision also reflects our concerns with the possible implications of a successful vote on UNESCO funding.”
UNESCO would not be in the parlous financial straits and ignominious position it finds itself today had its member States heeded Australia’s sage advice.

UNESCO’s foray into the Arab-Jewish conflict has been an unmitigated disaster.

2 comments:

  1. In 1947 CE, British Palestine was divided in 2 parts:
    Eastern Palestine (78%) became the Arab state of Jordan.
    Western Palestine (22%) became the Jewish state of Israel.

    In 1970, Yassir Arafat’s Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) attempted to take control of Jordan, because they recognized that Jordan is Palestine.

    In 1978, Shimon Peres told Menachem Begin: "Jordan is also Palestine".
    www.timesofisrael.com/jordan-is-also-palestine-peres-once-told-begin/

    For many years, the Catholic Church refused to recognize both Israel and Jordan, because both countries are the Biblical “Holy Land”.

    President Ronald Reagan said this in year 1980:
    “Israel and Jordan are the two Palestinian states envisioned and authorized by the United Nations. Jordan is now recognized in some 80 per cent of the old territory of Palestine…”
    SOURCE:
    http://daphneanson.blogspot.com/2017/09/david-singer-king-abdullahs.html

    CONCLUSION:
    The Palestinians already have a state: It is called Jordan.
    Jordan is more than three times the size of Israel.

    Selling land to Jews is a death-penalty-felony in Jordan. Why should Palestinians be permitted to live in Israel when Jews are not permitted to live in Jordan?

    Professor George Jochnowitzy said:
    “ISIS, also known simply as the Islamic State, has released a map of its view a future Arab world. There is no Israel on the map, needless to say.
    What is shocking is that there is no Palestine.
    Palestine, the central element in Arab nationalism, would be forgotten once Arabs conquered all the land that they had once owned. Palestine has remained an issue simply to be a way of opposing Israel’s existence. Refugees have remained in camps for over 60 years in order to make them suffer so that the world would blame Israel.”
    SOURCE: Is Palestine Dead?
    by Professor George Jochnowitzy 2014/7/30
    www.jochnowitz.net/Essays/Is-Palestine-Dead.html

    Big Israeli Leftist Admits Palestinians NOT Occupied:
    www.algemeiner.com/2016/11/25/yair-lapid-champion-of-the-israeli-left-says-palestinians-arent-occupied/

    PS: Please check out these pro-Israel web sites:
    www.camera.org * www.HonestReporting.com * www.memri.org * www.ActForAmerica.org * www.aish.com * www.IsraelLawCenter.org
    ___________________________________
    Ancient Roman historians connected
    Jews with the Land of Israel
    :


    http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2016/05/guest-post-
    cornelius-tacticus.html

    https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2017/02/guest-post-josephus-vs-muslim-liars.html

    ___________________________________
    Why Israel’s 1967 Borders are Undefendable:

    https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2017/03/guest-post-why-1967-borders-are-suicide.html
    ___________________________________
    Why Muslims Hate Jews:

    https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2016/12/guest-post-why-muslims-hate-jews.html

    http://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2016/03/guest-post-famous-last-words.html

    https://shilohmusings.blogspot.com/2017/01/guest-post-forgotten-oppression.html

    ReplyDelete
  2. UNESCO seems to punch above their weight because we let them. They're basically a bunch of museum docents.

    ReplyDelete

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