Color me shocked, shocked, I tell you.
The U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly Friday to establish an office to register Palestinian damage claims stemming from Israel’s construction of a barrier in the West Bank.
Israel and the United States strongly opposed the creation of the new office, which will be based in Vienna, Austria.
Israel began building the barrier in 2002 to stop Palestinian suicide bombers who were infiltrating from the West Bank. Palestinians say it is an attempt to grab their land and has obstructed their freedom of movement.
Wow, what’s wrong with the AP? That was actually an accurated depiction of Israel’s reason to build the fence. But wait, now we get to the heart of the matter:
Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Dan Gillerman said Israel already has a mechanism for Palestinians to register claims for compensations related to the barrier’s construction. He said 140 cases have already been reviewed and more than $1.5 million has been paid to Palestinians. He criticized the Palestinians for going to the United Nations “to put another political mechanism in place that does not and will not bring relief to your people.”
The United States made the same point and strongly objected to the estimated cost of over $2 million a year for the register, with no provision for its mandate to be reviewed or concluded.
And there you have it, folks: It’s another Israel-bashing tool to be used to delegitimize Israel via the UN. Step by step by step, the Arab and Islamic world adds to Iran’s litany against the Jewish state. The infamous “Zionism equals racism” resolution was rescinded, but it remains as one of the lowest points in the UN’s checkered career. (John Bolton, the UN Ambassador that the Democrats refuse to approve, is one of the people who worked tirelessly to get that disgusting resolution revoked.)
Methinks it’s time to finally add a “UN” category to this blog, because it seems that they UN is insisting on giving me more material to write about.
1. The USA and Israel should reduce their UN contributions by the proportional amount for this needless office.
2. Israel should bill the Palis for the costs of damage and recompense for loss of life due to Pali terrorism. They can garnishee the revenues they are supposed to pay to the Palis, why I do not understand.
3. Since the fence would be unnecessary except for Pali terrorism, Israel shold charge them for the costs of building the fence, including the costs of compensating Palestinian Arabs for land taken in building it.
4. Israel should take measures through both international and national courts to recover these monies, including suing to garnishee the funds the EU sends to the Palis every year.
These sorts of things won’t accomplish anything, but will provide large amounts of badly needed comic relief.
I’ve said it before; I’ll say it again: it is time for the United States to quit pretending that the United Nations serves any useful geopolitical purpose.
Three things should happen: first, withdraw all American funding and people from the UN.
Second, kick all of those useless, scabrous “diplomats” who take up all the primo parking in Manhattan out of our country. It’s bad enough we have to listen to their anti-Semitic, anti-American ravings. Enough.
Third, as we and we alone decide, redirect our funds that used to support the UN to the several worthwhile humanitarian groups that happen to be part of the UN.
Oh, fourth: perhaps the UN buildings on the East Side could go condo?
Actually, the reason to set up this useless office is
It is because the US insisted on stopping the Oil For Food bribes. The UN had to replace the income somehow. This way the US has to pay and it is legal
Cut a deal with Kim Jong Il: If you permit the U.S. to pay for relocating the UN in Pyongyang, we’ll lift the ban on exporting iPods to North Korea.