Yesterday the United Nations voted overwhelmingly to recognise a Palestinian state, despite threats by the United States and Israel to punish the Palestinians by withholding funds for the West Bank government. The 193-nation approved the de facto recognition after the vote passed 138-9, with 41 abstentions.

This historic move comes after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on the world body to issue Palestinian’s long overdue “birth certificate”.

Sixty-five years ago on this day, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 181, which partitioned the land of historic Palestine into two states and became the birth certificate for Israel.

After the announcement, thousands of flag-waving Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip set off fireworks and danced in the streets to celebrate the vote.

But not everyone shared in the joy. US secretary of state Hillary Clinton called the vote “unfortunate and counterproductive”, while the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned Abbas’ critique of Israel as “hostile and poisonous,” and full of “false propaganda”.

These are not the words of a man who wants peace.

[Source: News24]