Settlements

The United Nations has a well-earned reputation of being anti-Israeli and the United States, as one of the five permanent members, has regularly used its veto power to save Israel. Yesterday, the United States abstained from voting instead of using the veto and the United Nations declared that the building of settlements in the West Bank to be illegal. The United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Powers said the settlements were detrimental to the creation of a two state agreement between Israel and Palestine and this agreement is the only way to resolve the long standing difference between these two countries. While these settlements are one of many reasons why an agreement cannot be reached there are other reasons and one of the most important is the fact that Palestine refuses to admit that Israel exists. It is not possible for two countries to agree on territory when one country states in its constitution that the other country is not there. There is literally no one to agree with if there is only one party to the agreement. Israel states that according the 1967 agreement reached after the end of the 67 war, the territory known as the West Bank was to be negotiated as part of the peace agreement. The United Nations says that when the war ended the West Bank was no longer negotiable and thus the argument remains. According to the United Nations the building of settlements has been illegal since 1967. This new vote will have little to no effect on Israel as it will continue to build as it has over the past 50 years. Some day in the future when Palestine agrees to the existence of Israel they may use these settlement, to bargain for new territorial boundaries.