Best Of

Interesting interview with Jeffery Sachs about the Israeli settlers

He makes an interesting point (around 28 minutes in) regarding a two state solution..

"There are two possibilities. Basically, the Israeli government says explicitly every day, 'We will control Gaza.' Well, there can be no peace on that basis, and my guess is no ceasefire, even if that were to lead to that outcome at the end of a period. The other possibility is what has been part of international law for 57 years, and that is a Palestinian State. My own view is that the UN Security Council, and of course it would do it if the US would not veto it, should immediately recognize a Palestinian State as the 194th member state of the United Nations upfront. Not at the end of a process, but upfront. The rest can follow, but I would make that the fact on which all the rest happens. So that it's negotiations between two sovereign states. And this, to my mind, would flip the kind of phony process and the failed process of the last dozens of years."

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Irish lawyer's powerful speech spelling out case against Israel for crimes against Palestine

25. Mr. President, I wish to turn now to the question of self-determination. As submitted in our written statement, Ireland has concluded that – by its prolonged occupation of Palestinian lands and continuous settlement activity on those lands – Israel has prevented the exercise by the Palestinian people of their right to self-determination. The principle of self-determination is a fundamental principle of international law, enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and the two 1966 International Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The content of that principle was elaborated in the 1970 Declaration on Friendly Relations, adopted by consensus at the General Assembly. That Declaration makes clear that:

‘Every State has the duty to promote, through joint and separate action, realization of the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples … bearing in mind that subjection of peoples to alien subjugation, domination and exploitation constitutes a violation of the principle, as well as a denial of fundamental human rights, and is contrary to the Charter.’

26. The Declaration solemnly proclaims that ‘(e)very State has the duty to refrain from any forcible action which deprives peoples … in the elaboration of the present principle of their right to self-determination and freedom and independence.’

27. In the Wall case, the Court found that the construction of the wall and its associated regime severely impeded the exercise by the Palestinian people of their right to self-determination. It therefore breached Israel’s obligation to respect that right. In Ireland’s view, the combination of Israel’s prolonged occupation of the OPT and its escalating settlement activity has done so on a far greater scale. That escalating activity has increasingly fragmented Palestinian presence upon – and restricted Palestinian use of – the land and natural resources of the Palestinian people. It threatens the viability of a future Palestinian State. The nature, scale and duration of settlement activity is such that its purpose can only be to permanently obstruct the exercise of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.

For those interested, the full transcript of the speech can be found "HERE"

Hmm I wonder what the US, UK and the Israeli government have got planned to try and distract public attention away from these hearings...Perhaps more illegal bombing raids to ramp up tension in the Middle East ... ( There's nothing like a war to distract public attention away from the real issues)

The feeble attempts made by the "Three Um Egos" to conceal their true motives for their illegal actions would be comical if it weren't for the fact that innocent lives are at risk.