Ashrawi:
UN Vote Against Palestine Bid 'Outrageously
Shameful'
By Maan News
December 31, 2014 "ICH"
- "Ma'an"
- BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- PLO Executive
Committee member Hanan Ashrawi on Wednesday
condemned the UN Security Council vote
against a bid to end the Israeli occupation
of Palestine as "outrageously shameful."
"It is ironic that while the United Nations
designated 2014 as the International Year of
Solidarity with the Palestinian People, the
resolution failed to pass as an indication
of a failure of will by some members of the
international community," she said in a
statement.
"Furthermore, all the articles of the
resolution are consistent with declared
American policy, international law, UN
resolutions, and the requirements of peace.
The extent to which the US has gone to
protect Israeli impunity and lawlessness and
to enable its criminal behavior is
disgraceful and dangerous."
Ashrawi's statement came as Palestinian
leaders reacted to news that the UN Security
Council had failed to pass a bill calling
for peace within a year and a 2017 deadline
to end the Israeli occupation.
While Hamas denounced the bid altogether as
a failed stunt, PA leaders focused their
anger on those states which failed to
support the bid.
"Those countries (Lithuania, Nigeria,
Rwanda, South Korea, and the UK) that
abstained demonstrated a lack of political
will to hold Israel accountable and to act
in accordance with the global rule of law
and international humanitarian law and their
own avowed principles," Ashrawi said in her
statement.
Many had expected that the resolution would
come close to passing but would be blocked
by a US veto. But the large number of
abstentions meant that the US did not even
have to exercise its veto to kill the bill.
"We extend our gratitude and appreciation to
all the countries, in particular France and
Luxembourg, that upheld their principles and
voted in favor of the resolution," Ashrawi
said.
"We strongly urge all governments worldwide
to officially recognize an independent
Palestine on 1967 borders with Jerusalem as
its capital and to support our multilateral
efforts of resorting to all international
venues to seek the protection and
empowerment of Palestine and accountability
for Israel."
"This is the inevitable next step given such
an abysmal failure of will on the part of
some members of the international community
and the collusion with Israel by others,"
she added.