Palestinians to seek full UN membership Sept. 23

[Dan and Judy 614]

You mean like on April 1st, 1948 when the UN Security Council decided that Resolution 181 (the UN Partition Plan for Palestine) should not be implemented, and sent it back to the General Assembly to come up with something else ?

Nothing in that resolution about scraping partition

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Nothing in that resolution about scraping partition

The Security Council refused to implement UN 181 and sent it back to the General Assembly. On May 14, 1948 the General Assembly adopted resolution 186 (S-2) which states that the Palestine Commission (which UN 181 established to implement the partition) was relieved of further "exercise of responsibilities" under 181. This is the effective cancellation of 181.

However, later than same day, the Jewish Agency led by David Ben-Gurion, moved unilaterally to proclaim an independent State of Israel. In the announcement to the President of the United States, the Provisional Government of Israel described the borders of this new state as had been proposed in UN 181:

“MY DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: I have the honor to notify you that the state of Israel has been proclaimed as an independent republic within frontiers approved by the General Assembly of the United Nations in its Resolution of November 29, 1947, and that a provisional government has been charged to assume the rights and duties of government for preserving law and order within the boundaries of Israel, for defending the state against external aggression, and for discharging the obligations of Israel to the other nations of the world in accordance with international law. The Act of Independence will become effective at one minute after six o’clock on the evening of 14 May 1948, Washington time.”

http://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/decad169.asp

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

The Security Council refused to implement UN 181 and sent it back to the General Assembly. On May 14, 1948 the General Assembly adopted resolution 186 (S-2) which states that the Palestine Commission (which UN 181 established to implement the partition) was relieved of further "exercise of responsibilities" under 181. This is the effective cancellation of 181.

However, later than same day, the Jewish Agency led by David Ben-Gurion, moved unilaterally to proclaim an independent State of Israel. In the announcement to the President of the United States, the Provisional Government of Israel described the borders of this new state as had been proposed in UN 181:

This was 6 months after the Arab leadership rejected 181 and roughly 6 months of warfare. It makes sense that they cancelled it, as it was based on in depth studies of neighborhoods and RAF aerial photography. After 6 months of war the facts on the ground had changed.

What should have happened is that Britain should have established a governing council with something like 5 Jewish leaders and 7 Arab leaders each with veto power. Instead, they walked away without establishing a replacement government.

Edited September 19, 2011 by Sousuke

[Pooky 3,786]

What should have happened is that Britain should have established a governing council with something like 5 Jewish leaders and 7 Arab leaders each with veto power. Instead, they walked away without establishing a replacement government.

We tended to do that as the British Empire headed into the sunset. Another good example was Aden (Yemen) in 1967.

[Dan and Judy 614]

The Security Council refused to implement UN 181 and sent it back to the General Assembly. On May 14, 1948 the General Assembly adopted resolution 186 (S-2) which states that the Palestine Commission (which UN 181 established to implement the partition) was relieved of further "exercise of responsibilities" under 181. This is the effective cancellation of 181.

However, later than same day, the Jewish Agency led by David Ben-Gurion, moved unilaterally to proclaim an independent State of Israel. In the announcement to the President of the United States, the Provisional Government of Israel described the borders of this new state as had been proposed in UN 181:

I had a girlfriend once who changed the date on her birth certificate

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

This was 6 months after the Arab leadership rejected 181 and roughly 6 months of warfare. It makes sense that they cancelled it, as it was based on in depth studies of neighborhoods and RAF aerial photography. After 6 months of war the facts on the ground had changed.

What should have happened is that Britain should have established a governing council with something like 5 Jewish leaders and 7 Arab leaders each with veto power. Instead, they walked away without establishing a replacement government.

Frankly, why would the Arab leadership agree to a partition that would give more than half the land of Palestine to foreign colonizers - a plan which was proposed without the consultation or consent or the Arab leaders, and without the consultation or consent of the indigenous population ?

[Dan and Judy 614]

Frankly, why would the Arab leadership agree to a partition that would give more than half the land of Palestine to foreign colonizers - a plan which was proposed without the consultation or consent or the Arab leaders, and without the consultation or consent of the indigenous population ?

Im sure at the time it didn't seem like a smart thing to do, but in retrospect it would have been

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

Frankly, why would the Arab leadership agree to a partition that would give more than half the land of Palestine to foreign colonizers - a plan which was proposed without the consultation or consent or the Arab leaders, and without the consultation or consent of the indigenous population ?

Well I don't think the UN saw them as colonisers. I know we have had this discussion before and you did bring up the term settler colonisation. But that term was created in the 1990s not the 1940s.

Also, much of the Jewish land was desert (Negev)

Though its clear they were giving extra land to the one partition for future Jewish settlers, that I acknowledge.

Edited September 19, 2011 by Sousuke

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Im sure at the time it didn't seem like a smart thing to do, but in retrospect it would have been

What wasn't the smart thing to do was forcibly establishing a Jewish state in Palestine against the wishes of its pre-existing non-Jewish majority.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

What wasn't the smart thing to do was forcibly establishing a Jewish state in Palestine against the wishes of its pre-existing non-Jewish majority.

Much like the Jews in Nazi Germany, perhaps the Palestinians didn't think things would get as bad as they have, or did in light of the Holocaust. The Jews learned a hard lesson. Perhaps the Palestinians should have paid more attention.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

Much like the Jews in Nazi Germany, perhaps the Palestinians didn't think things would get as bad as they have, or did in light of the Holocaust. The Jews learned a hard lesson. Perhaps the Palestinians should have paid more attention.

Sorry they are not comparable.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Much like the Jews in Nazi Germany, perhaps the Palestinians didn't think things would get as bad as they have, or did in light of the Holocaust. The Jews learned a hard lesson. Perhaps the Palestinians should have paid more attention.

Well... now the Palestinians are taking a page from Israel's book and moving unilaterally to establish their state.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Sorry they are not comparable.

Certainly not in ruthless inhuman efficiency, but the lessons to be learned are still there

[luckytxn 2,264]

Well... now the Palestinians are taking a page from Israel's book and moving unilaterally to establish their state.

Well they become a state and from what I have read so far it will mean really nothing unless Israel agrees to it. Yes I read how they can then go and ask for resolutions and even the high court and stuff but unless Israel and the U.S. agrees to anything then nothing happens.

Except the Palestinians may feel better mentally? I am still a noob and all and trying to understand.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Well they become a state and from what I have read so far it will mean really nothing unless Israel agrees to it. Yes I read how they can then go and ask for resolutions and even the high court and stuff but unless Israel and the U.S. agrees to anything then nothing happens.

Except the Palestinians may feel better mentally? I am still a noob and all and trying to understand.

The idea is that it establishes the legal groundwork that the Palestinian state is a state based on the 1967 lines. Hence, future negotiations will be conducted between two states (whether Israel recognizes Palestine or not) rather than between a state and a stateless people with no recognized territory.