Former UN Ambassador: UNSC Resolution Proof of Israel's Isolation

Jerusalem, 25 December, 2016 (TPS) -- As Israel’s political class continues to reel from the ratification of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2334 on Friday, former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations Gabriela Shalev spoke with Tazpit Press Service (TPS) about the rationale behind the US abstention and the implications of the resolution for Israel’s future.

The resolution reiterates the UN position that settlements in Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967 are illegal under international law and and constitutes “a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-state solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace.” It also reiterates the world body’s demand of Israel to “immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and that it fully respect all of its legal obligations in this regard.”

Ambassador Shalev, who has described on many occasions the double-standards that Israel receives at the world body, said that the current resolution is not binding because it was made under Chapter VI of the UN Charter, and she added that the UN is not mandated to apply sanctions under Chapter VI against the State of Israel should Israel refuse to comply. But she warned that the resolution could have far-reaching political implications beyond the legal sphere.

“The absence of legal effect to a resolution that was passed unanimously, with one abstention, does not detract from deep and far-fetched political, diplomatic and even psychological implications, all centered around the realization of Israel’s own isolation from the international community” she stated.

Shalev interpreted the US abstention as a consequence of President Obama’s frustration with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who the former feels has paid lip-service to the idea of a two-state solution but refused to act toward that goal.

“Contrary to popular belief, the Obama administration has shown amazing support for Israel and with Israel in the UN forum, as I witnessed during my years as ambassador. Most of this assistance occurred behind the scenes, with the US delegation doing its best to prevent situations in which they would have to decide on using their veto.

“For many years, the Americans have been pushing for a two-state solution to be applied on the ground. But the current right wing government has effectively worked against that solution, the Israeli occupation is now approaching its 50th anniversary, diplomatic efforts have failed and more bloodshed has occurred. The Obama administration simply used its last days in power to do what they have always thought was right,” Shalev added.

Ambassador Shalev cited the Legalization Bill and Education Minister Naftali Bennett’s statements on the “end of the two-state solution era” as examples that contributed to Washington’s decision, as did US Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power in her speech on Friday.

“With regards to the psychological implications inside of Israel, the resolution could lead to a state of to a suicidal political psychology that I would call the ‘Masada Syndrome’: The whole world is against us. That, in turn, could lead Israel to become even more antagonistic towards the Palestinians,” explained Ambassador Shalev.

“The UN now considers us to be the ‘enfant terrible’ of the world… [but] as opposed to Ben-Gurion’s famous position about the UN’s irrelevance, I know how important this body is and it bears reminding that if were not for the UN, the State of Israel would not have been established,” she concluded.