This states that "in cases where the Security Council fails in its duty to maintain world peace because of differences among the five permanent members, the matter at hand can be referred directly to the General Assembly." In the current U.N. climate, a vote in the General Assembly would likely favor Palestine, similarly to the resolution granting Palestine observer status.

Part 3 -- Rebuttal -- in its most basic form, the State of Israel owes its existence to a group of Zionists who used the events of World War II to establish a religiously oriented homeland. This view overlooked the fact that Arab Muslims had occupied the land for centuries and used British imperialism as an excuse to reoccupy Arab lands. Once Israel formed its statehood, it became part of the global Cold War and found legitimacy and support from the United States, who wanted and needed an ally in the region to counter Soviet presence in Egypt and other Arab lands. In fact, UN General Assembly Resolution 181 orders that independent Arab and Jewish States shall both come into existence in Palestine, lending the view that Palestine has a rightful claim to the area. Many Palestinians view conflict with Israel as legitimate if focused on violent resistance against Israeli military occupation as opposed to acts against Israeli citizens (non-combatants). Palestine also points out that Israel uses its technology and arrangements with the United States to keep Palestine poor and disenfranchised by controlling the socio-political and economic strings of the region.

Prime Minister Abbas of Palestine noted that the window of opportunity is narrowing for Palestinian-Israeli peace due to the racist and colonial occupation of Palestinian lands. Abbas further noted that they do not wish to delegitimize Israel, but to legitimize Palestine. In general, Abbas views global society in the 21st century as needing Palestine as a legitimate state in the area; only through recognizing Palestine can the world change the paradigm in effect since 1948.

In fact, the U.N. fact finding mission to Palestine, released in January 2013, may have broader consequences for Abbas' viewpoint. While the report does not recommend international legal action, the findings may very well represent a basis for a case against Israel in the International Criminal Court, which is now open to Palestine with its new status.

Mr. Davutoglu of Turkey echoed this plea for sanity...

The reality, from Turkey's viewpoint, is that the Palestinian people have been subjected to torture, massacres, wars, exiles, collective punishment and economic slavery for years. Voting for Palestine on this resolution lets the world know that it is a humanitarian principle that guides the need for a Palestinian state.
Conclusions- Despite the push towards legitimizing Palestine through the General Assembly, many legal experts believe that without the official stamp of the Security Council, acceptance by the General Assembly alone would be "little more than a repeat of the resolution adopted by the General Assembly in 1947, recommending that there be a Jewish and an Arab state in Palestine."

If the U.N. were to grant Palestine member status, it would change the dimensions of Mid-East foreign policy for many countries, and shake the geopolitical nature of the region. Israel would turn from an occupier over disputed lands to an illegitimate invader of a sovereign nation. This would complicate matters greatly. The United States could no longer use its authority and power to back Israel since the United Nations would likely call on Israel to withdraw for Palestinian territories. Further complicating the issue is the notion that Abbas noted that once a Palestinian state is officially recognized by the United Nations, there is no real point in continuing negations with Israel. Instead, Palestine would use the UN as a forum to enforce sovereignty and likely force Israel to withdraw to 1967 borders.

END NOTES

United Nations. A67/PV44.

Ibid.

Leslie Susser, "Countdown to a State," the Jerusalem Report, May 23, 2011.

Alistair Dawber, "UN Calls Israel's West Bank Settlements 'Creeping Annexation' and Suggests it Jeopardizes a Future Palestinian State," the Independent, January 31, 2013.

Ibid.

Leslie Susser, "Israel's Unspelndid Isolation," the Jerusalem Report, December 31, 2012

Susser,"Countdown," pp. 2-3.

Susser, "Unsplendid ."

A/67-PV44, p. 5.

Ibid., p. 13.

Susser, "Countdown," p. 2.

Dawber; a/67-PV44.

A/67-PV44, p. 4.

Dawber, p. 2.

Ibid., p. 9.

Susser, "Countdown," p. 3.

Ibid., p. 5.