United Nations vehicle. Illustrative. By Joshua Spurlock
In the wake of months of arson attacks against Israel by kites sent from Gaza, hundreds of rocket attacks from Hamas on Israeli civilians and regular Gaza border riots, the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres listed international troops as an option to defend the Palestinians—from Israel. The Ma’an News Agency said that a report published on Friday by Guterres provided four possible methods to protect Palestinians—which the UN chief acknowledged is “highly complex.” One such option was armed UN peacekeepers or troops from “like-minded states” under a UN mandate to provide “physical protection.” Other options included additional aid and UN observers.
Yet the same day the report was released, it was Israel who was once again in need of self-defense. The IDF Spokesperson’s Twitter feed reported that “thousands of Palestinians rioted along the security fence with Gaza, hurling several firebombs” and explosive devices on Friday, along with multiple infiltrations into Israel by suspects who quickly retreated back into Gaza. This is nothing new. Israel has spent months defending their border with Gaza from hordes of violent Palestinians interspersed with Hamas terrorists. Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny buy phentermine forum Danon said that it’s not Israel who is threatening the Palestinians—it’s their own leadership, including the supposedly moderate Palestinian Authority (PA).
“The #UN issued a report about how to protect Pal people. As the PA incites violence and Hamas terrorizes, it is clear that the only protection the Palestinian people need is from their own leaders. The report’s suggestions will only enable the Palestinians’ continued rejectionism,” tweeted Danon.
That rejection of any peace process with Israel was heard again on the same day as Guterres’ report. Another Palestinian governing council, the Palestinian Central Council, publicly rejected any potential peace plan from US President Donald Trump’s administration according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA.
Furthermore, the Central Council also reaffirmed plans to cease security cooperation with Israel and to withdraw their recognition of Israel until Israel recognizes a state of Palestine on the borders the Palestinians demand.
The Ma’an News Agency noted that the UN chief’s international troop proposal would require the authority of the UN Security Council to implement, where the United States holds veto power and has struck down one-sided resolutions targeting Israel in the past.
(By Joshua Spurlock, www.themideastupdate.com, August 19, 2018)