The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) is urging all pro-Israel individuals and organizations to oppose a reported push by President Barack Obama to sponsor a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution calling for the creation of a Palestinian state that would, among other things, divide Jerusalem, Israel’s eternal and undivided capital.
A report in the Wall Street Journal maintains that President Obama “would push Israel to halt construction of settlements in the Palestinian territories and recognize East Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state, a key Palestinian demand. Palestinians would in turn be asked to recognize Israel as a Jewish state and end claims on a right of return for Palestinian refugees” (Carol E. Lee & Rory Jones, ‘White House Working on Renewed Mideast Peace Push,’ Wall Street Journal, March 7, 2016).
“As none of this has changed, this is not the time for any talk of rewards or concessions for Abbas and the PA.ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said, “We have been saying and presenting evidence for years that Mahmoud Abbas’ Palestinian Authority (PA) are not peace-makers or moderates, do not accept Israel as a Jewish state and support a variety of pro-terror anti-peace actions, including glorifying suicide bombers, insisting on the Israel-destroying so-called ‘right of return’ of Palestinian refugees of the 1948-9 war and their millions of descendants, and working continually for the delegitimization of Israel.
“There is an inherent imbalance, unfairness or prudence, in this call for Israel and Palestinian concessions.
“At Oslo, for example, the Palestinians claimed to have accepted Israel, to have renounced terrorism and to support a negotiated peace settlement. In fact, they do not accept Israel, refuse to dismantle terrorist groups, glorify and reward terrorists and their families, and have refused negotiations for almost all of the past seven years. They have even said that Oslo is dead – yet still demand more concessions from Israel.
“Conversely, Israel has made sometimes irreversible concessions on the basis of these empty promises and lies, including relinquishing all of Gaza, half of Judea and Samaria, transferring assets, funds and even arms to the PA, only to receive unprecedented terrorism in return.
Yet, today, if reports are true, President Obama wants to ratchet up the pressure on Israel through a Security Council resolution that would, among other things, seek to divide Jerusalem, a policy that is overwhelmingly opposed by the Israeli electorate.
“Jerusalem is the historical, religious and political capital of Israel. It possesses Muslim holy sites, is but is not sacred to Islam and indeed is never referred to once in the Quran, as compared to its mention in the Hebrew Bible, literally, hundreds of times. It is the direction in which Jews pray. Muslims pray towards Mecca. It has had a Jewish majority since the 1880s.
“Neither history, nor religion, nor common sense demands the division of Jerusalem, least of all for the purpose of ceding it to an unreconstructed, terror-promoting anti-peace regime like Abbas’ PA.
“Accordingly, all pro-Israel individuals and groups, irrespective of political outlook, should be opposing President Obama’s plans foreshadowed in this report with all their might.
“If these reports are untrue, President Obama should immediately and publicly clarify that he has no plans to support a UNSC resolution of this kind.”