(MENAFN- Emirates News Agency (WAM)) A UAE paper has said that it is getting increasingly clear that the international community has lost patience with Israel, which repeatedly blocks any peace effort in the region. Several European parliaments have already adopted non-binding motions calling for the recognition of Palestine.
"The Palestinian issue has thus reached a defining moment. A final version of a proposal calling for a peace deal between Palestine and Israel has now been sent for a vote to the 15-member UN Security Council," said The Gulf Today in its editorial on Wednesday.
Arab ambassadors have taken a laudable step endorsing the text, which contains new provisions on declaring East Jerusalem the capital of a Palestinian state, settling the issue of Palestinian prisoner releases and halting Jewish settlements.
Originally submitted by Jordan in mid-December, the draft resolution calls for an end to the occupation of Palestinian territories by 2017. There are many other contentious issues too.
The paper quoted Jordanian Permanent Representative to the UN, Dina Kawar, as saying, "There's the issue of occupied Jerusalem, there are other issues concerning the prisoners, water, settlements, and the illegitimate wall that was condemned by the international court." It continued, "It may be recalled that the draft resolution was formally presented to the council on Dec.17, but the US quickly rejected the text over Palestinian insistence that deadlines be set. The Palestinians made it clear then that they were open to negotiations and Jordan began talks on a measure that could garner a consensus among the 15-council members." "The revised draft could ultimately create a Palestinian State based on 1967 borderlines. Nine Security Council votes are needed to adopt the resolution, as long as no nation holding the power of veto opposes it. The vote is expected to take place in the coming days." "If the bid to win support for a UN resolution fails, the Palestinians would be left with no other choice but to join the International Criminal Court to file suits against Israel. They will also be forced to take action at the UN General Assembly and in other international fora to force the issue of Palestinian statehood on the agenda." "In the worst case scenario, the Palestinians will no longer deal with the Israeli government, which will then be forced to assume its responsibilities as an occupier," the Sharjah-based daily concluded.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.