UN Says Israel Fails to Meet Demand to Halt WallÊ

[Wonk]

Friday, November 28, 2003 5:08 p.m. ET
By Irwin Arieff

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan reported on Friday that Israel has failed to comply with a General Assembly demand that it halt construction of a barrier cutting deep into Palestinian West Bank lands.

The official finding lays the groundwork for the Palestinians to return to the 191-nation assembly next week to seek further action against Israel.

"I have concluded that Israel is not in compliance with the assembly's demand that it 'stop and reverse the construction of the wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory,"' said the report, requested by the assembly in an Oct. 21 resolution.

(snip)

The General Assembly voted 144-4 with 12 abstentions last month to adopt a resolution demanding that Israel halt construction of the barrier. Only the United States, Israel, the Marshall Islands and Micronesia voted "no."

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http://wireservice.wired.com/wired/story.asp?section=Breaking&storyId=802174

[La_Serpiente]

1. *Sigh*

How many times have we heard this crap already? They are just going to return to their oppressive ways and peace won't be achieved.

[forgethell]

2. the problem is that

the General Assembly has no legal, and damn little moral, authority. It is useful only as a debating society.

[Classical_Liberal]

6. Then what was it's moral authority in creating Israel?

?

[meti57b]

8. doesn't matter. Israel is a done deal now and it's going to stay that way

[forgethell]

10. I repeat

the General Assembly has no moral authority. What happened in 1948 is over and done with now. the moral authority for Israel's existence is that it exists, and will defend its own survival. th world must either adapt, or do something about it. But this will involve the use of force, and eventually the ethnic cleansing of Palestine of Jews.

[Resistance]

3. wonk

is that an Iraqi kid in the picture or a Palestinian?

If Iraqi = allowed.
If Palestinian = not allowed.

Hmmmmm

[Wonk]

4. Iraqi

http://www.cbc.ca/deadlineiraq/

[Resistance]

5. thanks

bookmarked the link

[JohnLocke]

7. The UN has no authority to demand that Israel halt construction

[Violet_Crumble]

11. Of course it does...

That's like someone saying the UN had no authority to demand South Africa put a stop to apartheid. Of course the UN has authority to make those sort of demands. It does so on the mandate of the member states, and I assume any state that has a problem with that would resign from the UN. GA resolutions aren't worth much at all, other than as an indication of what the international community is thinking, though I guess there's times when a GA resolution may be picked up by the SC, which carries a lot more weight, especially when it comes to Article 8 resolutions, which are binding and can be enforced militarily. But with the GA being a bunch of white-noise that no-one takes much notice of, and the US having hijacked the SC for its own purposes a long time ago, it's pretty clear to see that the UN needs some massive reforms....

Violet...

[Muddleoftheroad]

12. The UN

First off, I agree that the UN needs massive reforms. I also believe it won't happen.

Now, as to UN authority, where does it end? Can the UN tell member states to stop -- let's say genital mutilation? (Not that they would because of the nations that actually practice this heinous activity.) Can the UN tell America it has to return the American Southwest to Mexico or hold a mandate and let that vote decide the results?

You envision an all-powerful UN. It isn't and the rest of the world doesn't view it that way. If it starts trying to be that way, it won't have many members.

[Violet_Crumble]

13. We agree on two things then...

About the UN needing massive reforms, and also that it probably won't happen. I was told there's been a committee working on ways to reform the UN for the past ten years, and the reason they never come out with anything is because no matter what reform would be suggested, it would make some members so unhappy they'd resign from the UN...

UN authority ends where it ends. I don't really understand why the UN would say anything about the American Southwest. Mexico's not making any claim on it, are they?

No, I don't envisige an all-powerful UN. I'd like to see a UN doing what it was set up to do, which is to be a multilateral international institution that helps keep world peace. And what do you mean 'the rest of the world doesn't view it that way'? The rest of the world, as well as the US is what makes up the UN, Muddle. I'm just curious. Would you have so many problems with the UN being an allpowerful unilateral institution being guided by that great world-leader, the US?

Violet...

[Muddleoftheroad]

14. More on the UN

Yes, I think the UN is in a precarious position. If it tries to change in any substantive way, it will collapse. Perhaps that would be better. I don't know.

As for the Southwest, there are indeed groups lobbying for independence or for rejoining Mexico. While such groups are small, suppose they weren't? Does the UN have the theoretical authority to control internal issues in a nation?

Does the UN really help keep world peace? I'm not so sure. I doubt either the Palestinians OR the Israelis would think so.

I gave up with one-world government dreams some time ago. So, yes I would have problems with such a UN.

[Aidoneus]

9. same four as always

Though it is impossible for anything actually useful to get through under the existing frameworks (which is why I do not care about the UN as it exists), there should be some teeth put behind these efforts aside from the predictably ritualistic votes.

[Gimel]

15. The "Wall" may force Arafat

It is already being reported that Arafat is making statements that would remove objections to negotiations with Israel. Remember how Abu Mazen had to resign because he was too friendly in negotiations, was criticized for smiling and shaking hands with an Israeli flag in the background? The wall will force Arafat to face the reality. Either negotiate or be cut off from the Israeli economy, and with no illigitimate entry.