Israel Matzav

Over 150 Italian parliamentarians sign letter opposing 'Palestinian' unilateralism

Led by Fiamma Nirenstein, over 150 Italian MP's have signed on to a petition opposing planned 'Palestinian' unilateralism at the UN in September.

The same letter has been presented in several States worldwide by the International Council of Jewish Parliamentarians, chaired by Italian MP Fiamma Nirenstein.

The document, launched in Italy by the board of the Italy-Israel Parliamentary Friendship Association – MPs Enrico Pianetta (Pdl), Fiamma Nirenstein (Pdl), Gianni Vernetti (Api) and Rossana Boldi (Lega Nord) – calls for a rapid resumption of negotiations between the Israeli and Palestinian leaderships, aimed at reaching a peace based on mutual agreement. “Unilateralism”, the document asserts, “violates international legality and harms the value of treaties among people”. The preamble of the UN Charter itself states that the UN is determined “to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties (… ) can be maintained”.

The 150 MPs letter explains how unilateralism undermine all accepted international frameworks for peace such as UN Security Council resolutions 242, 338, and 1850; the Roadmap for Peace; and various Quartet statements and in fact it obliterates all the pre-existent agreement between Israelis and Palestinians. Moreover, if a unilateral recognition of a Palestinian State were to take place at the upcoming General Assembly, it will effectively constitute a recognition of Hamas, a terrorist organization outlawed in the European Union, the US and Canada and nowadays part of the Palestinian executive.

The collection of signatures is being updated daily and they will be delivered to UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, before the opening of the next General Assembly session.

Read the whole thing.

I am skeptical whether any of these petitions will have any effect, but it cannot hurt to try. The decision whether or not to recognize a 'Palestinian state' is being made at the highest executive levels of government (where most foreign policy decisions are made). Legislators have little voice in the process.

Labels: Fiamma Nirenstein, Italian parliament, Palestinian state RIGHT NOW syndrome, unilateral declaration of statehood

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:30 PM