Israel Matzav

AIPAC calls for reassessing US relations with the 'Palestinians'

AIPAC is calling for reassessing US relations with the 'Palestinians' in light of the UN gambit. They're right of course. But the odds of it happening are not good. Besides, it should have happened as soon as it was clear that the 'Palestinians' were not going to back down from the UN gambit.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee called for a "full review" of the U.S. relationship with the Palestine Liberation Organization, including shutting its Washington office, in the wake of its obtaining non-member state status at the United Nations.

"In requesting this action, PLO Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is effectively turning his back on  talks with Israel and destroying his credibility as someone genuinely interested in a serious peace process," AIPAC said in a statement after the U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly approved non-member state status for the PLO ion Thursday evening, 138 to 9 with 41 abstentions.

"Congress has specifically linked continued aid and the operation of the PLO office in Washington to the Palestinians not seeking statehood status at the United Nation," it said. "AIPAC applauds this congressional leadership and urges a full review of America’s relations with the PLO, including closure of the PLO’s office in Washington."

In fact, laws passed by Congress to date impose penalties for full U.N. membership, not the non-member status obtained Thursday.

A number of proposed laws now under consideration would, however, extend those penalties to the Palestinian Authority and to the United Nations for obtaining non-member statehood recognition.

But the proposal that is most likely to pass is toothless and allows too many ways to weasel out of meaningless consequences at the UN.

Read the whole thing. 

Labels: Abu Mazen, AIPAC, Barack Hussein Obama, Palestinian state RIGHT NOW syndrome

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:41 AM