Obama Betrays Israel At The United Nations - Is America's Reprieve Now Over?
By Michael Snyder/Economic Collapse BlogDecember 26, 2016
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Barack Obama actually did it. Despite enormous pressure from the government of Israel, President-elect Donald Trump and members of his own party in Congress, Barack Obama decided to stick a knife in Israel's back at the United Nations.
On Friday, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution that calls for a "two-State solution based on the 1967 lines" and that shockingly states that "the establishment by Israel of settlements in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, has no legal validity".
This resolution was approved by a vote of 14 to 0, and the U.S. abstained from voting. But essentially the outcome of the vote was going to be determined by Barack Obama.
For decades, the U.S. veto power on the UN Security Council has shielded Israel from these types of resolutions, but this time around Obama decided to betray Israel by allowing this vote to pass. Needless to say, this vote is going to have enormous implications for Israel, for the United States, and for the entire globe.
Just five days ago, I published one of the most important articles that I have ever written. It was entitled "The Real Reason Why America Has Been Given A Reprieve", and in that article I explained why the U.S. has experienced a season of blessing since blocking a potential UN Security Council resolution that France wanted to introduce that would have formally divided the land of Israel in September 2015.
As I stated in that previous article, it is my contention that the reason why things have gone so well for the United States over the past 16 months is because Barack Obama made the right decision in September 2015 and chose to protect the land of Israel from being divided.
But now that Barack Obama has reversed course and has greatly betrayed Israel, is America's reprieve now over?
For months, I have been warning that Barack Obama may do something like this at the UN during the waning days of his presidency. You can see some examples of my previous warnings here, here and here. And I have also been warning about the severe consequences that the United States would face if our government did ultimately decide to betray Israel.
This UN Security Council resolution that was passed on Friday was originally going to be put up for a vote on Thursday. But after enormous pressure from the government of Israel and from President-elect Donald Trump, Egypt decided to withdraw the resolution that they had proposed at the last moment.
When that happened, it looked like everything was going to be okay.
However, temporary members of the UN Security Council New Zealand, Malaysia, Venezuela and Senegal immediately objected to Egypt's move, and they indicated that they would submit the resolution for a vote if Egypt would not.
So on Friday a vote took place, and Obama did what many had been fearing. The following comes from the New York Times...
Defying extraordinary pressure from President-elect Donald J. Trump and furious lobbying by Israel, the Obama administration on Friday allowed the United Nations Security Council to adopt a contentious resolution that condemned Israeli settlement construction.
The administration's decision not to veto the measure broke a longstanding American tradition of serving as Israel's sturdiest diplomatic shield.
President-elect Trump publicly said that he would have vetoed this resolution, but now it will be virtually impossible for him to reverse it.
Another vote of the UN Security Council would be necessary to reverse it, and the votes simply would not be there. And even if they were, either Russia or China could use the veto power that they possess to block it.
So this resolution is going to be permanent, and it is considered to be legally binding on both Israel and the Palestinians.
It seems fitting that Barack Obama is vacationing in Hawaii while all of this drama is playing out. Perhaps while he is on the golf course he is enjoying a good laugh about how he really stuck it to his long-time nemesis Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Needless to say, the Israeli government is absolutely furious that Obama has betrayed them. The following comes from U.S. News & World Report...
An Israeli official on Friday accused President Barack Obama of colluding with the Palestinians in a "shameful move against Israel at the U.N." after learning the White House did not intend to veto a Security Council resolution condemning settlement construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem the day before.
"President Obama and Secretary Kerry are behind this shameful move against Israel at the U.N.," the official said. "The U.S administration secretly cooked up with the Palestinians an extreme anti-Israeli resolution behind Israel's back which would be a tail wind for terror and boycotts and effectively make the Western Wall occupied Palestinian territory," he said calling it "an abandonment of Israel which breaks decades of US policy of protecting Israel at the UN."
You can read the full text of the UN Security Council resolution that was just adopted right here. These are some of the highlights that I pulled out of the document...
-It refers to Israel as "the occupying Power"
-It calls for a "two-State solution based on the 1967 lines"
-It speaks of a Middle East "where two democratic States, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace within secure and recognized borders"
-It demands "the dismantlement of all settlement outposts erected since March 20013
-To me, the following is the key paragraph in the entire resolution...
Reaffirms that the establishment by Israel of settlements in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, has no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-State solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace
-It stipulates "that Israel immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem"
-It states that the UN Security Council "will not recognize any changes to the 4 June 1967 lines, including with regard to Jerusalem, other than those agreed by the parties through negotiations"
-It expresses a belief that "the cessation of all Israeli settlement activities is essential for salvaging the two-State solution, and calls for affirmative steps to be taken immediately to reverse the negative trends on the ground that are imperilling the two-State solution"
-It calls on all UN member states "to distinguish, in their relevant dealings, between the territory of the State of Israel and the territories occupied since 19673
This is the most anti-Israel resolution that the UN Security Council has ever passed, and it never would have happened without Barack Obama's approval.
The Israeli government and the Obama administration have had a very strained relationship for years, and this moment represents the culmination of tensions that have been building for a very long time.
But does this resolution actually represent the "division of the land of Israel" at the United Nations that so many have been waiting for?
I don't know if I have a definitive answer to that question for you today. The language of this resolution does not directly give formal recognition to a Palestinian state, but it does speak of a "democratic state" of "Palestine", and it does speak of "Palestinian territory".
It calls Israel "the occupying Power", and it does say that all Israeli settlements in the West Bank and in East Jerusalem are illegal. And on top of everything else, the UN Security Council clearly stated that it "will not recognize any changes to the 4 June 1967 lines, including with regard to Jerusalem, other than those agreed by the parties through negotiations".
So it seems clear that the UN Security Council has affirmed three major points that we have been watching for...
#1 A Palestinian state exists.
#2 The 1967 ceasefire lines represent the borders between the state of Israel and Palestine, but future negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians could alter these borders.
#3 East Jerusalem belongs to the Palestinians. This resolution does not refer to East Jerusalem as the future capital of Palestine, but that is obviously what is intended.
But perhaps another resolution will come later which will give official UN Security Council recognition to a Palestinian state.
At this point, we just don't know.
However, what we do know is that for decades whenever the U.S. has taken steps toward dividing the land of Israel it has resulted in dramatic consequences for our nation.
It is my contention that this betrayal of Israel at the United Nations by Barack Obama represents a major turning point.
I believe that America's reprieve is now over, and that many of the things that people have been anticipating since September 2015 will start happening.
Barack Obama just made the worst decision of his entire presidency, and from this point forward nothing is ever going to be the same again.