US may lift diplomatic shield for Israel at UN

[mick silver]

US may lift diplomatic shield for Israel at UNhttp://l.yimg.com/os/publish-images/news/2013-08-26/d19448d6-6aaa-4359-a768-eadacf5fbca9_afp-gif_new.gif (http://www.afp.com/) By Jo Biddle and Andrew Beatty, with Hazel Ward in Jerusalem 2 hours ago





http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/LGOYnvAN5aV2mcdY5fFyMA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTM3NztpbD1wbGFuZTtweG 9mZj01MDtweW9mZj0wO3E9NzU7dz02NzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/afp.com/Part-WAS-Was8911814-1-1-0.jpg (http://news.yahoo.com/white-house-us-reevaluate-backing-israel-un-190946862.html#)
 View photos



http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/Xl287uUBqiDfW21Ff1PKwQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTgzLjI1O3B5b2ZmPTA7cT 03NTt3PTE0OA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/afp.com/Part-NIC-Nic6429800-1-1-0.jpg (http://news.yahoo.com/white-house-us-reevaluate-backing-israel-un-190946862.html#)


http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/Sa9u97u6Y2VIVYQswX_Mjg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTgzLjI1O3B5b2ZmPTA7cT 03NTt3PTE0OA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/afp.com/Part-NIC-Nic6430245-1-1-0.jpg (http://news.yahoo.com/white-house-us-reevaluate-backing-israel-un-190946862.html#)







Washington (AFP) - The White House on Thursday warned it may withdraw crucial diplomatic cover for Israel at the United Nations, even as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denied he had ruled out the creation of a Palestinian state.
Related Stories


Netanyahu faces pressure over Palestinian state after win (http://news.yahoo.com/results-confirm-big-win-netanyahus-likud-111316437.html) AFP
Netanyahu Reverses Vow to Oppose Palestinian State (http://www.wsj.com/articles/abbas-two-state-solution-no-longer-possible-1426776658?mod=yahoo_hs) The Wall Street Journal
Abbas says talks with Israel still on table (http://news.yahoo.com/palestinian-leader-abbas-says-talks-israel-still-table-163041548.html) AFP
Abbas to work with any Israel govt accepting 2-state solution (http://news.yahoo.com/abbas-israel-govt-accepting-2-state-solution-145234403.html) AFP
Palestinians warn two-state solution 'impossible with Netanyahu' (http://news.yahoo.com/palestinians-warn-two-state-solution-impossible-netanyahu-113718291.html) AFP







Despite Netanyahu's backtracking over his campaign promise, skeptical American officials said the veteran Israeli leader would have to prove his commitment to negotiations for a two-state solution.
Responding to Netanyahu's last-minute campaign pledge not to allow a Palestinian state, White House spokesman John Earnest said the Obama administration was re-evaluating its stance at the United Nations.
"Steps that the United States has taken at the United Nations had been predicated on this idea that the two-state solution is the best outcome," said spokesman Josh Earnest.
"Now our ally in these talks has said that they are no longer committed to that solution. That means we need to reevaluate our position in this matter, and that is what we will do moving forward."
The United States -- a veto-wielding member of the UN Security Council -- has frequently opposed moves at the UN to recognize a Palestinian state, saying that must be part of a negotiated peace deal.
It has also shielded Israel from often Arab-led UN votes castigating the Jewish state for various actions, including alleged human rights abuses.
View photos 
http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/zDad3mvh10RXRFvHNPo56w--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTIwMDtxPTc1O3c9MzAw/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/afp.com/Part-NIC-Nic6429800-1-1-0.jpg
(http://news.yahoo.com/photos/israeli-co-leaders-zionist-union-party-isaac-herzog-photo-155838436.html)Israeli co-leaders of the Zionist Union party, Labour Party's leader Isaac Herzog (R) and MP and …

Several officials, speaking to the New York Times on condition of anonymity, said the Obama administration might agree to a UN Security Council resolution enshrining a two-state solution.
- All options open -
Asked whether the US would remove its diplomatic cover at the UN, a senior US official said that, while no decision has yet been made, "we haven't taken the option off the table."
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said it was clear a two-state solution would be impossible with a new government led by Netanyahu, who toughened his rhetoric in the final days of his campaign for re-election.
Obama has yet to call Netanyahu to congratulate him on his victory, but the Israeli leader emphatically denied setting himself in opposition to years of US policy by going back on his commitment to seeking a Palestinian state.
"I didn't retract any of the things I said in my speech six years ago, calling for a solution in which a demilitarized Palestinian state recognizes a Jewish state. I said that the conditions for that, today, are not achievable," Netanyahu told Fox News as he took to the US airwaves.
View photos 
http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/FwqzXxNMqv3lJIg5nmu2QQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTIwMTtxPTc1O3c9MzAw/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/afp.com/Part-NIC-Nic6430245-1-1-0.jpg
(http://news.yahoo.com/photos/palestinian-president-mahmud-abbas-speaks-during-meeting-palestinian-photo-210615260.html)Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas speaks during a meeting with the Palestinian executive committee …

Israel would "need the recognition of (a) Jewish state and real security in order to have a realistic two-state solution," he told NBC News, in his first interview with US media since winning an unprecedented fourth term in Tuesday's elections.
But he insisted "you have to have real negotiations with people committed to peace ... it's time we saw the pressure on the Palestinians to show that they are committed too."
The Palestinians would also need to cut ties with Hamas militants running the Gaza Strip and engage in "genuine" peace talks, Netanyahu added.
Washington brokered nine months of negotiations between Netanyahu's last government and the Palestinians which collapsed late last year, amid continued Israeli settlement building and the Palestinians move to join international bodies.
"Netanyahu's statements against a two-state solution and against a Palestinian state... are proof, if correct, that there is no seriousness in the (future) Israeli government about a political solution," Abbas said.
The Palestinians would continue to push for legitimacy on the international stage, Abbas said. "It is our right to go to anywhere in the world to achieve international legitimacy," he said.
The Palestinians will formally join the International Criminal Court on April 1 and have vowed to seek action from the very first day for alleged Israeli war crimes during last year's conflict in the Gaza Strip.
- Herzog in opposition -
Netanyahu's center-left challenger Isaac Herzog had campaigned on pledge to relaunch peace talks and mend ties with Washington.
Conceding defeat, Herzog quickly ruled out any participation in a unity government with Netanyahu, saying going into opposition was "the only realistic option."
Results released by the Central Elections Committee on Thursday confirmed Likud had taken 30 of the 120 seats in parliament to 24 for the Zionist Union.
Right wing and religious parties -- including the center-right Kulanu -- took 67 seats to 53 for the center-left and Arab parties.
The Joint Arab List made a strong showing, becoming the third-largest faction in parliament, with 13 seats.


Politics & Government
Foreign Policy
Israel
United Nations
Palestinian state
Mahmud Abbas


Click to view comments 
View Comments (3804)

[Ponce]

It looks to me that without knowing about by winning that asshole allowed the world to know what he was going to do ahead of time......had the other guy won the election then this asshole would had been the man behind the chair and the real power in the state of Israel, now he has no choice but to confront his words and the world.

Obama has to show that he is against the state of Israel because the world is against him and the state of Israel......who knows what goes on in the background....after all, the Sionist still have the Sampson option and nukes.

V

[Cebu_4_2]

Link so I can read this shit?

[Ponce]

Mick?, what Cebu is saying is "Show me the evidence that this article was in the internet and that YOU didn't write it"........ok folks, here we go hahahahhaahha.

By the way, only a pro Zionist would called it "shit", but only because he didn't like it.

V

[Neuro]

Mick?, what Cebu is saying is "Show me the evidence that this article was in the internet and that YOU didn't write it"........ok folks, here we go hahahahhaahha.

By the way, only a pro Zionist would called it "shit", but only because he didn't like it.

V
Not really, extraordinary claims demands extraordinary evidence. There is a lot of faked news these days. I don't think it is very likely US would vote against Israel in the UN. Lots of fake news abound!

[Cebu_4_2]

Mick?, what Cebu is saying is "Show me the evidence that this article was in the internet and that YOU didn't write it"........ok folks, here we go hahahahhaahha.

By the way, only a pro Zionist would called it "shit", but only because he didn't like it.

V

You've gone full retard, tell me you read that 'shit' Mick posted, you CANT. That's why I asked for a link so I can read it formatted..... pro zionist pfft... asshat.

[Cebu_4_2]

Washington (AFP) - President Barack Obama on Thursday warned Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu that Washington will "re-assess" its policies after the prime minister's election win called into question crucial US diplomatic cover for Israel at the UN.

Two full days after Netanyahu's shock election victory, the White House said Obama called the Israeli leader to congratulate him -- though the message was decidedly lukewarm.

Obama warned that the veteran Israeli leader's last-minute campaign pledge to oppose the creation of a Palestinian state and comments about Israeli Arabs voting in "droves" would force a rethink in Washington.

The US president called to congratulate Netanyahu "on his party's success in winning a plurality of Knesset seats," the White House said.

"The president told the prime minister that we will need to re-assess our options following the prime minister's new positions and comments regarding the two state solution," an administration official said on condition of anonymity.

"They also discussed Prime Minister Netanyahu's comments about Israeli Arabs."

Even as Netanyahu scrambled to deny he had ruled out the creation of a Palestinian state -- long the starting point for Middle East peace efforts and a cornerstone of US policy -- the White House indicated it could withdraw its unwavering support for Israel at the United Nations.

The United States -- a veto-wielding member of the UN Security Council -- has opposed moves at the UN to recognize a Palestinian state, saying that must be part of a negotiated peace deal.

It has also shielded Israel from often Arab-led UN votes castigating the Jewish state for various actions, including alleged human rights abuses.

"Steps that the United States has taken at the United Nations had been predicated on this idea that the two-state solution is the best outcome," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest.

"Now our ally in these talks has said that they are no longer committed to that solution. That means we need to re-evaluate our position in this matter, and that is what we will do moving forward."

- All options open -

Asked whether Washington would remove its diplomatic cover at the UN, a senior US official said that, while no decision has yet been made, "we haven't taken the option off the table."

Such a move would represent a major inflection point for US-Israeli relations, the likes of which has not been seen in years, or perhaps decades.

It is now more than 30 years since then president Ronald Reagan allowed anti-Israel resolutions to pass at the UN after Israel bombed Iraq's nuclear facilities.

Netanyahu on Thursday emphatically denied setting himself in opposition to decades of US policy by going back on his commitment to seeking a Palestinian state.

"I didn't retract any of the things I said in my speech six years ago, calling for a solution in which a demilitarized Palestinian state recognizes a Jewish state. I said that the conditions for that, today, are not achievable," Netanyahu told Fox News as he took to the US airwaves.

Israel would "need the recognition of (a) Jewish state and real security in order to have a realistic two-state solution," he told NBC News.

The Palestinians would also need to cut ties with Hamas militants running the Gaza Strip and engage in "genuine" peace talks, Netanyahu added.

Even if denied or retracted, Netanyahu's comments could have a lasting impact on efforts to end the long Middle East conflict.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said it was clear a two-state solution would be impossible with a new government led by Netanyahu.

"Netanyahu's statements against a two-state solution and against a Palestinian state... are proof, if correct, that there is no seriousness in the (future) Israeli government about a political solution," Abbas said.

The Palestinians would continue to push for legitimacy on the international stage, Abbas said. "It is our right to go to anywhere in the world to achieve international legitimacy," he said.

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat told CNN late Thursday that Netanyahu's election was "very, very dangerous."

The Palestinians will formally join the International Criminal Court on April 1 and have vowed to seek action from the very first day for alleged Israeli war crimes during last year's conflict in the Gaza Strip.

Washington brokered nine months of negotiations between Netanyahu's last government and the Palestinians which collapsed late last year, amid continued Israeli settlement building and the Palestinians move to join international bodies.

- Herzog in opposition -

Netanyahu's center-left challenger Isaac Herzog had campaigned on pledge to relaunch peace talks and mend ties with Washington.

Conceding defeat, Herzog quickly ruled out any participation in a unity government with Netanyahu, saying going into opposition was "the only realistic option."

Results released by the Central Elections Committee on Thursday confirmed Likud had taken 30 of the 120 seats in parliament to 24 for the Zionist Union.

Right wing and religious parties -- including the center-right Kulanu -- took 67 seats to 53 for the center-left and Arab parties.

The Joint Arab List made a strong showing, becoming the third-largest faction in parliament, with 13 seats.

[mick silver]

yahoo news ... Related Stories https://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/world/26733942/us-may-lift-diplomatic-shield-for-israel-at-un/



Obama says US to 're-assess' options after Netanyahu win (http://news.yahoo.com/white-house-us-reevaluate-backing-israel-un-190946862.html) AFP
Palestinians warn two-state solution 'impossible with Netanyahu' (http://news.yahoo.com/palestinians-warn-two-state-solution-impossible-netanyahu-113718291.html) AFP
Obama tells Israel's Netanyahu that U.S. to 'reassess' options: official (http://news.yahoo.com/obama-tells-israels-netanyahu-u-reassess-options-official-225039836.html) Reuters
Abbas to work with any Israel govt accepting 2-state solution (http://news.yahoo.com/abbas-israel-govt-accepting-2-state-solution-145234403.html) AFP
Triumphant Netanyahu comes under US pressure (http://news.yahoo.com/israel-centre-left-leader-rules-unity-government-161754961.html) AFP

[Cebu_4_2]

yahoo news ... Related Stories https://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/world/26733942/us-may-lift-diplomatic-shield-for-israel-at-un/



Obama says US to 're-assess' options after Netanyahu win (http://news.yahoo.com/white-house-us-reevaluate-backing-israel-un-190946862.html) AFP
Palestinians warn two-state solution 'impossible with Netanyahu' (http://news.yahoo.com/palestinians-warn-two-state-solution-impossible-netanyahu-113718291.html) AFP
Obama tells Israel's Netanyahu that U.S. to 'reassess' options: official (http://news.yahoo.com/obama-tells-israels-netanyahu-u-reassess-options-official-225039836.html) Reuters
Abbas to work with any Israel govt accepting 2-state solution (http://news.yahoo.com/abbas-israel-govt-accepting-2-state-solution-145234403.html) AFP
Triumphant Netanyahu comes under US pressure (http://news.yahoo.com/israel-centre-left-leader-rules-unity-government-161754961.html) AFP



NZ has some different news...

Lengthy prison terms after Cuba cracks egg corruption case

AFP March 21, 2015, 4:47 am
Havana (AFP) - A court in Cuba has condemned several government officials to prison terms of between five and 15 years for stealing and selling millions of eggs on the black market, state-run media reported on Friday.

Prosecutors last week requested prison sentences of up to 20 years for the 18 officials, part of a "criminal network" whose egg thefts in 2012 cost the communist island nation some $356,000, the Granma daily newspaper wrote.

Prosecutors said the workers -- employees of the state food distribution agency -- used dodgy accounting, fake receipts and unauthorized delivery routes to set up a black-market egg empire.

They succeeded "thanks to unobservant and/or corrupt supervisors, deficient or absent monitoring mechanisms and complicit or tolerant attitudes," Granma wrote last week.

===============

Taps turned off as Taiwan battles worst drought in decade
AFP Updated March 21, 2015, 3:33 am

Taipei (AFP) - Taiwan is facing its worst drought in over a decade after the lowest rainfall in nearly 70 years, forcing some major cities to turn off the taps as authorities introduce emergency rationing, officials said Friday.

Water supplies to households and businesses in northern Taoyuan city and most of New Taipei City -- the island's largest municipality -- will be cut off for two days a week from the beginning of April, the government said.

"The water supply situation is urgent as Taiwan had the lowest rainfall last autumn and winter since 1947," the economics affairs ministry said in a statement, adding the dry spell is forecast to continue.

"We may have delayed or no monsoon rains at all... We urge the public to cooperate during this difficult time."
Parts of the vast Shihmen Dam in Taoyuan have dried up, leaving boats washed up in what is now a muddy crater.

The dam, which supplies parts of northern Taiwan, has only 47 days of water left without fresh rain, according to the authorities.
Rationing is being imposed "in preparation for the worst" Lai Chien-hsin, a spokesman for the water resources agency, told AFP.
"We will decide on when to remove the rationing depending on the situation."

The government last imposed water rationing and anti-drought measures in 2001 in parts of Taiwan, including Taipei.
At that time water supplies to car washes, saunas and swimming pools were suspended in the capital while government agencies, schools and hotels were ordered to slash their water consumption by 20 percent.

Industrial water supplies will also be reduced in nine areas across the island from Monday for an indefinite period, authorities said.

[Ponce]

Black market of eggs?........last time that I was there it was of toilet paper.....they only cost .25 cents each but no one had the money.....they were stolen from the government and sold for .10 cent in the black market.

V

[Neuro]

Black market of eggs?........last time that I was there it was of toilet paper.....they only cost .25 cents each but no one had the money.....they were stolen from the government and sold for .10 cent in the black market.

V
Don't start hoarding eggs!

[Cebu_4_2]

Don't start hoarding eggs!

If they spoil he can sell them in China for 5x the price.