by Stephen Lendman
Ahead of the General Assembly’s likely granting Palestine statehood recognition and full de jure UN membership in September or early October, Israel is preparing its army and arming settlers for disruptive protests.
Law Professor and former PLO legal counsel Francis Boyle explains that a simple two-thirds majority of states present and voting are needed. Abstentions and no-shows don’t count. “Palestine has those votes for admission,” he says! “The Israelis and the Americans know it.”
Aside from Washington’s illegal planned veto, if a Security Council resolution is introduced, Netanyahu apparently abandoned plan A, replacing it with a disruptive plan B.
On August 30, Haaretz writer Chaim Levinson headlined, “IDF training Israeli settlers ahead of ‘mass disorder’ expected in September,” saying:
Settlement-by-settlement “red line(s)” were determined for “when soldiers will be ordered to shoot at the feet of Palestinian protesters if the line is crossed.”
Arming settlers with tear gas, stun grenades, and perhaps other weapons is also planned, allegedly “as part of the defense operation.”
Called Operation Summer Seeds, its “purpose is to ready the army (and settlers) for September and the possibility of confrontations with Palestinians following the expected” General Assembly granting them statehood and full de jure membership.
A document leaked to Haaretz stated a “working assumption” that “a public uprising” will follow Palestinian independence “which will mainly include mass disorder.”
In fact, celebratory demonstrations are likely, not disturbances unless Israel and settlers incite them. Apparently, that’s what’s planned, again blaming victims of Israeli violence to maintain hardline occupation.
This time, however, it will be against a sovereign internationally recognized independent state, able to file a formal State to State complaint against Israeli officials.
In addition, as Boyle explains, it “can ratify the Genocide Convention and sue Israel for Genocide at the World Court, pursuant to” previous advice he gave Arafat and Abbas.
Moreover, it can “get a temporary restraining order” against Israel, requiring either Security Council enforcement approval, or if Washington vetoes it, to the General Assembly under the 1950 Uniting for Peace Resolution overriding it.
In addition, it can use this procedure to halt settlement construction once and for all and perhaps regain lost land.
These prospects frighten Israel and its Washington paymaster/partner. So they’re are pulling out all the stops to prevent Palestinian statehood or at least disrupt it if achieved to maintain hardline policies, claiming they’re in self-defense.
The Israeli document contends disorder will include “marches toward main junctions, Israeli communities, and education centers; efforts at damaging (Israeli) symbols of government.”
“Also, there may be more extreme cases like shooting from within the demonstrations or even terrorist incidents. In all these scenarios, there is readiness to deal with incidents near the fences and the borders of the State of Israel.”
In fact, Israel is the only nation without fixed borders, because of its longstanding plan to seize Palestinian land, as well as more from neighboring states for a Greater Israel. It’s indeterminate in size depending on how much it can steal.
Israel’s army has been holding training sessions near its Shiloh military installation. It’s also trained settlement squads at its Lachish base, used as a command training center for that purpose.
In addition, two virtual defense lines for each settlement were established. If Palestinians cross the first one, they’ll face settlers using tear gas and other disruptive measures.
If line two is breached, soldiers will use live fire at their legs.
In other words, Israel plans disruptions. Rules of engagement were established to unleash them. A heightened state of readiness exists. Palestinians will be blamed like always. Injuries and perhaps deaths may result.
Instead of recognizing the UN’s new member, Israel plans hostile acts short of war, perhaps planned later as more naked aggression.
As a result, Peace Now’s Hagit Ofran expressed alarm, saying:
“We hope the army is making clear that nonviolent protests (and celebratory marches are) legitimate, and no settlers (or IDF personnel) should use any violence against unarmed demonstrators.”
Rabbis for Human Rights’ Arik Ascherman raised “serious questions and problems” with regard to settlers acting illegally, saying:
“We’re very concerned that (Israeli forces) will not reduce conflict but increase it.”
In fact, more at issue is instigating it as Israel commonly does, blaming its violence on Palestinian to shift responsibility.
Notably in early August, Israeli Foreign Minister/Deputy Prime Minister Avigdor Lieberman outrageously claimed Palestinians are preparing for “bloodshed the likes of which we’ve never seen before,” so when Israel sheds it they can be blamed.
Palestinian spokesman Ghassan Khatib accurately said Israel’s “trying to fuel a fake picture of what will happen in September. These Israeli predictions of violence aren’t true.”
Palestinian Statehood and De Jure UN Membership Issues
A previous article explained Francis Boyle’s work as PLO legal advisor to assure all Palestinians worldwide automatically become citizens of the State of Palestine if granted by the upcoming General Assembly vote. Access it through the following link:
http://sjlendman.blogspot.com/2011/08/follow-up-comments-on-palestinian.html
On August 30, Ma’an News published his assessment and International and Comparative Law Professor John Quigley’s concurring, saying:
The Palestinians’ “initiative” to be introduced in the General Assembly “is no threat” to their rights, and “will only improve their standing. This is because as a matter of international law, states must ensure that human rights are not being violated.”
As a sovereign state, Palestine will be “interacting” with others, “and this is a much stronger position. It can pursue remedies at the diplomatic level in its capacity as a state. It will do favors for other states. It can demand (them) in return. It can also pursue prosecutions of Israeli officials for war crimes,” including illegal settlements, applying greater pressure available to sovereign states.
Moreover, “(r)ather than posing a threat to the refugees, (they’ll), in fact, be in a much stronger position. Legally, while people might leave states, if the refugees are nationals then the state cannot refuse to allow them to return.”
In 1988, the General Assembly accepted the PLO “as the sole representative of the Palestinian people.” It’s precisely what it’s likely to do “in September if asked to accept Palestine as a state.”
A Final Comment
The Virtual Jerusalem web site headlined, “Let Your Voice Be Heard,” stating:
“Say No to Palestinian Statehood.” Access its site through the following link:
http://www.virtualjerusalem.com/
The pro-Israeli group accuses the PA of including “terrorist(s)….whose stated mission is ‘the elimination of Israel,” no matter that saying so is a bald-faced lie.
Nonetheless, it accused Hamas of hundreds of terrorists attacks, calling self-defense against Israeli violence “terrorism,” what scoundrels always say.
It falsely said the PA lacks “vital aspects of modern statehood, such as freedom, respect for human rights, and a functioning democracy. Palestinian statehood,” it adds, “will make peace negotiations with Israel impossible.”
In fact, they’ve been stillborn for decades because Israel and Washington promote violence, not peace, a notion they find intolerable.
Virtual Jerusalem doesn’t even lie well, adding that Palestinian statehood “will be gravely detrimental to Israel’s security and the safety of the Israeli people.”
“Stand with Israel and make your voice heard,” it says. Tell Obama to support Israel against Palestine. Of course, he, like past presidents since Lyndon Johnson, have done it throughout their tenure.
It’s time more responsible world leaders recognized rule of law responsibilities by voting to grant Palestinian statehood and full de jure UN membership.
Why? Because it’s the right thing to do!
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.
Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.
http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/.
