If Kosovo, why not Palestine?

[katty]

more: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2008/885/op140.htm

If Kosovo, why not Palestine?
It is time for the Ramallah-based Palestinian leadership to challenge the international community on Palestinian independence, writes John Whitbeck*

EXCERPT:

American and EU impatience to sever a portion of a UN member state (universally recognised, even by them, to constitute a portion of that state's sovereign territory), ostensibly because 90 per cent of those living in that portion support separation, contrasts starkly with the unlimited patience of the US and the EU when it comes to ending the 40-year-long belligerent Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (no portion of which any country recognises as Israel's sovereign territory and as to which Israel has only asserted sovereignty over a tiny portion, occupied East Jerusalem). Virtually every legal resident of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip seeks freedom, and has for over 40 years. For doing so, they are punished, sanctioned, besieged, humiliated and, day after endless day, killed by those who claim to stand on the moral high ground.

In American and EU eyes, a Kosovar declaration of independence from Serbian sovereignty should be recognised, even if Serbia does not agree. However, their attitude was radically different when Palestine declared independence from Israeli occupation on 15 November 1988. Then the US and EU countries (which, in their own eyes, constitute the "international community", to the exclusion of most of mankind) were conspicuously absent as over 100 countries recognised the new State of Palestine, and their non-recognition made this declaration of independence "symbolic", unfortunately for most Palestinians as well.

For the US and the EU, Palestinian independence, to be recognised and effective, must be directly negotiated on a wildly unequal bilateral basis between the occupying power and the occupied people with emphasis laid on attaining the final agreement of the occupying power and the occupied people with emphasis laid on attaining the final agreement of the occupying power.

[billyoc]

1. No oil pipeline in Palestine? nt

[katty]

2. right!

[Fredda Weinberg]

3. Because Palestinians have been kicked out Egypt and Jordan? n/t

[JackintheGreen]

4. AIPAC sounds better than AKPAC

which is the sound my dog makes when she drinks water too fast

[stray cat]

5. Its also time for the Palestinian leadership to lead

- there has been a history of helping themselves and not the palestinian people.

[Jim Sagle]

6. Because they don't really want their own state. They just want to conquer Israel.