Former UN Ambassador: 'US may not veto Palestinian State'
On this week's 20 Questions, ex-UN envoy Gabriela Shalev discusses Israel's flailing support at the UN, its diplomatic mistakes, and the Palestinian push for statehood.
By DEBORAH DANAN
Gabriela Shalev, the former ambassador to the UN, tells the JPost Premium Zone's “20 Questions”her thoughts on the UN’s response to the Itamar massacres, Israel’splace in the UN, and whether Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu wascorrect in responding to the stabbings by promising to build 500residential units.RELATED:Gillerman: 'Lack of Israeli policy encouragesdelegitimization'While Shalev assertsthat the UN is not a lost cause for Israel, she admits that during hertwo year sojourn as ambassador she encountered heavy resistance forIsrael’s cause, especially on the part of members of the Arab Leagueduring the Goldstone affair.Shalev agrees withher predecessor Dan Gillerman, who recently condemned Israel’s neglectin appointing an ambassador to the UN for over six months, explainingthat it was both harmful and damaging to the Jewish State. Shalevfurther added that the neglect demonstrated a disregard for the UN onthe part of the country’s leaders.When askedif she believes that come September, the US will once again use itsveto against establishing a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders,Shalev said that there can be no certainty in such an outcome. Shecommented that the reluctance manifested when the previous veto wasgiven seems to indicate towards a negative outcome in the future, andneedless to say, the Obama-led America of today drastically differsfrom the America under the Bush administration.Regarding the Palestinian push for statehood, Shalev fears thatthe Palestinians will use an obscure resolution from the 1950s whichstates that if the UNSC cannot come to an agreement regarding thePalestinian question, it will be referred to the UN General Assemblywhereby the latter can have the power to make “concrete recommendationsfor ‘collective measures’” – in other words, a unilateral declarationof a Palestinian State. Shalev emphasized that if made, such adeclaration would present an unprecedented obstacle to the peaceprocess. Shalev agrees with her predecessor Dan Gillerman, who recentlycondemned Israel’s neglect in appointing an ambassador to the UN forover six months, explaining that it was both harmful and damaging tothe Jewish State. Shalev further added that the neglect demonstrated adisregard for the UN on the part of the country’s leaders.When asked if she believes that come September, the USwill once again use its veto against establishing a Palestinian statebased on 1967 borders, Shalev said that there can be no certainty insuch an outcome. She commented that the reluctance manifested when theprevious veto was given seems to indicate towards a negative outcome inthe future, and needless to say, the Obama-led America of todaydrastically differs from the America under the Bush administration.Regarding the Palestinian push for statehood,Shalev fears that the Palestinians will use an obscure resolution fromthe 1950s which states that if the UNSC cannot come to an agreementregarding the Palestinian question, it will be referred to the UNGeneral Assembly whereby the latter can have the power to make“concrete recommendations for ‘collective measures’” – in other words,a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian State. Shalev emphasized thatsuch a declaration would inevitably present an unprecedented obstacleto the peace process. The full interview can be accessed by subscribing to The Jerusalem Post's Premium Zone. 20 Questions is aPremium Zone initiative empowering our readers to shape the contentthey would liketo see.Reader participation is vital and we encourage your feedback. Pleasesubmit allcomments, questions and suggestions in the fields below oralternatively, send them to jpost20questions@gmail.com