Israele ha richiamato l’Ambasciatore a Washington ed in altri dieci stati.

Giuseppe Sandro Mela.

2016-12-25.

 

Quando il venti gennaio Mr Obama uscirà dalla scena politica il mondo tirerà un respiro di sollievo.

Per la prima volta nel corso di più di duecento anni di storia un Presidente uscente ha preso iniziative politiche chiaramente divergenti da quelle annunciate dal suo successore: è una severa scorrettezza formale e sostanziale.

*

«The resolution – the first since 1979 to condemn Israel over its settlement policy – said the settlements had “no legal validity” and constituted “a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-state solution”.»

*

«Mr Netanyahu ordered his foreign ministry to summon the ambassadors of 10 countries which voted in favour of the resolution and which have embassies in Israel.»

*

«The reprimand on Christmas Day is unusual and a sign of the seriousness with which Israel is taking the matter.»

*

«In the wake of the vote, Israel recalled its ambassadors from New Zealand and Senegal, which both put forward the resolution, and cancelled planned visits to Israel by the foreign ministers of Senegal and Ukraine, which had voted for the text.»

*

«From the information that we have, we have no doubt that the Obama administration initiated it, stood behind it, co-ordinated on the wording and demanded that it be passed»

*

«Mr Netanyahu and President Obama have had a difficult relationship during Mr Obama’s two terms and Israel had feared that Washington would take such a measure in the final weeks of Mr Obama’s presidency.»

*

«Mr Trump promised that “things will be different” at the UN after he takes office on 20 January. »

* * * * * * *

Quando si parla dei problemi del Medio Oriente, quasi di norma si trascura la presenza di Israele e dei suoi interessi. Quasi che non esistesse.

Non si intende qui entrare nel merito della spinosa diatriba sui nuovi insediamenti.

Oggi il problema è ben diverso.

In una situazione esplosiva e quasi fuori controllo, la dichiarazione delle Nazioni Unite, voluta ed imposta proprio dagli Stati Uniti del Presidente Obama, non fa altro che gettare altra benzina sul fuoco. Come se di fuoco non ve ne fosse già stato a sufficienza.

Né ci si dovrebbe dimenticare come Israele abbia l’unico esercito degno di tal nome in tutto il Medio Oriente e sia anche, almeno così tutti ritengono, una potenza nucleare locoregionale.

Comportarsi come un alteramente e diversamente senziente che constati come il proprio gitone sia restato abbagliato da un’alteramente riproduttiva non giova per nulla alla conduzione dei problemi mondiali, né al prestigio degli Stati Uniti. La politica estera non ammette isterie. I liberals democratici hanno perso le elezioni presidenziali, quelle per il rinnovo del Congresso e quelle per il rinnovo del Senato: ne prendano atto ed imparino a perdere con stile.

Una disposizione analoga a quella stabilita da Mr Netanyahu fu presa soltanto nei giorni che precedettero la terza guerra del Sinai.

Aspettiamo con pazienza il venti gennaio.

---

→ Bbc. 2016-12-25. Israel summons US ambassador amid UN vote row

Israel’s prime minister has summoned the US ambassador amid a growing row after the US eased the passage of a resolution against Israel at the UN.

Benjamin Netanyahu, who is also foreign minister, took the unusual step of calling Dan Shapiro to his office.

It comes after Israel summoned ambassadors from countries which voted for Friday’s resolution.

The reprimands came after Israel vowed to take retaliatory steps for what it called a “shameful” act by the UN.

The measure, which harshly criticised Israeli settlement activity in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, passed when the US abstained instead of using its veto.

Israel has accused the US, its closest ally but a frequent critic of settlements, of engineering the vote – a charge Washington has denied.

“From the information that we have, we have no doubt that the Obama administration initiated it, stood behind it, co-ordinated on the wording and demanded that it be passed,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

“Friends don’t take friends to the Security Council,” he said.

The resolution – the first since 1979 to condemn Israel over its settlement policy – said the settlements had “no legal validity” and constituted “a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-state solution”.

Mr Netanyahu and President Obama have had a difficult relationship during Mr Obama’s two terms and Israel had feared that Washington would take such a measure in the final weeks of Mr Obama’s presidency.

President-elect Donald Trump tweeted that the vote was a “big loss” for Israel which “will make it much harder to negotiate peace”, vowing “we will get it done anyway”.

Mr Trump, whose intervention last Friday helped get a similar draft resolution withdrawn, promised that “things will be different” at the UN after he takes office on 20 January.

‘All-out war’

Mr Netanyahu ordered his foreign ministry to summon the ambassadors of 10 countries which voted in favour of the resolution and which have embassies in Israel.

The reprimand on Christmas Day is unusual and a sign of the seriousness with which Israel is taking the matter.

In remarks on Saturday night, Mr Netanyahu said Israel would work to get the resolution rescinded, adding that allies in the US Congress and the incoming administration had promised to “fight an all-out war” against the measure.

He said he had already halted Israeli funding to five UN institutions “that are especially hostile to Israel”, and warned of further steps to come.

In the wake of the vote, Israel recalled its ambassadors from New Zealand and Senegal, which both put forward the resolution, and cancelled planned visits to Israel by the foreign ministers of Senegal and Ukraine, which had voted for the text.

The issue of Jewish settlements is one of the most contentious between Israel and the Palestinians.

More than 500,000 Jews live in about 140 settlements built since Israel’s 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem – land the Palestinians want for a future state.

The settlements are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.