On December 30, 2014, the UN Security Council resolution to set a date for the end of the occupation of Palestine was defeated with only Australia and the US voting against the resolution. Russia, China, France, Argentina, Chile, Luxemburg, Chad and Jordan voted for the resolution and the UK, Rwanda, Nigeria, Lithuania, and South Korea abstained. Countries coloured green in the world map already recognise Palestine.
A Roy Morgan Research poll commissioned in November 2014 found:
- 57% think Australia should vote yes in the UN to recognising Palestine (an increase of 6% since 2011)
- 8% suggest we should vote against an independent Palestinian state (a decrease of 7% since 2011)
The proposed resolution would have set a 2017 deadline for Israel to withdraw from the West Bank and Gaza – 50 years after first occupying the territories. It called for borders to be drawn up on 1967 lines with negotiated land swaps and for a “third party” to prevent a resurgence of terrorism.
US ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power: resolution was “one-sided” and failed to take into account Israel’s legitimate security concerns.
Australia’s representative Gary Quinlan : text “lacks balance and seeks to impose a solution put forward by one party alone”.
In defending its position the Australian government stated that the resolution “.. lacks balance and seeks to impose a solution put forward by one party alone.”
“The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a number of resolutions saying that the strategic relationship with the United States encourages Israel to pursue aggressive and expansionist policies and practices. The 9th Emergency Session of the General Assembly was convened at the request of the Security Council when the United States blocked efforts to adopt sanctions against Israel.” Wikipedia has a list of the UN resolutions concerning Israel and Palestine here…
Jonathon Cook is a British journalist living in Jesus’ village Nazareth – here is his take on the failed Resolution “The US feels the heat on Palestine vote at UN”
Australia’s Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop, in an exclusive interview with The Times of Israel, asked whether she agrees or disagrees with the near-universal view that Israeli settlements anywhere beyond the 1967 lines are illegal under international law, replied: “I would like to see which international law has declared them illegal.” Full article by Raphael Ahren here.
Why exactly does Australia traditionally support Israel, despite that country’s continued defiance of UN resolutions? Ailsa Burns looks at some possible explanations in New Matilda