At UN, ICP Asked Of Southern Cameroons Crackdown, Then Paul Biya Happy Talk with SG

By Matthew Russell Lee, Photo, video

UNITED NATIONS, September 23 – When Cameroon's President for the past 30-plus years Paul Biya came to meet Antonio Guterres, he was accompanied by state media and... Inner City Press. Earlier on September 22 Inner City Press interviewed Southern Cameroonians out on 47th Street, then asked Guterres' spokesman Stephane Dujarric about people killed that very day. 

From the UN transcript: Inner City Press:  there’s a protest right now of Southern Cameroonians on 47th Street, but more importantly, there’s one in Southern Cameroon where five people have been killed today, as Paul Biya gave his speech, so I’m wondering…  I know the Deputy Secretary-General had some interest in the issue.  There’s Mr. [Francois Lonseny] Fall.  Are they aware of these protests? Spokesman:  "We’ve seen the reports I think we would definitely… we would call on the authorities to show restraint and ensure that people have the right to demonstrate freely." But on the UN's 27th floor, it was all smiles. And much later the UN put this read-out on its website: "The Secretary-General met today with H.E. Mr. Paul Biya, President of the Republic of Cameroon. The Secretary-General appreciated Cameroon’s hospitality towards the refugees.
They discussed the latest political developments in the country, as well as regional issues, including Boko Haram and the situation in the Central African Republic. The Secretary commended Cameroon for its efforts to combat Boko Haram, and reiterated the readiness of the United Nations to support the Government in all areas." No mention of the Anglophone areas, much less the day's killings. This is a new low, even for today's UN. UN Department of Political Affairs chief Jeffrey Feltman had left the floor with the Australian delegation; it was unclear if any UN Human Rights official was present. One of Biya's handlers even signed the UN visitors book in advance for him. When Guterres greeted his next visitor he did so in French then apologized, the last meeting was in French. Back September 19. Guterres ended with two photo ops. The first was Paraguay's President Horacio Manuel Cartes Jara, who spent a long time writing in the UN's visitors' book, followed by a short meeting. Alamy photos here. Next and last was Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Guterres said pointedly, just the signature. But something was lost in translation: he still started writing. Alamy photos here. Then the Press was ushered out. Alreay on the way in before the Paraguay photo op, the Media Entrance on 47th Street was locked. The questions about double standards of media access, including retaliatory restrictions still in place on the investigative Press while no-show, no-question state media like Egypt's Akhbar al Yom have full access have yet to be answered by the official now responsible, Alison Smale. According to a photographer allowed into the smaller "G-200" room, Smale was there to greet "her" Prime Minister, Theresa May. The previous day, Guterres was to have met Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, trying to get Presidential age limits in his country removed, at 4:40 pm on September 18. Inner City Press went, with UN Security, to the 27th floor for the photo op. But moment before, the Security said to change the flag from Uganda to Denmark, or really just UN blue. Then they said to switch it to South Africa for Jacob Zuma. This was attributed to New York City traffic. Alamy photos here. UN Department of Political Affairs official Taye Brook Zerihoun, there for the Uganda meeting, stayed on as he has in his post. Would he stay for Denmark, or South Korea's Moon? Periscope video here. When Italy's Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano took media questions at the UN on September 18, they were all in Italian except for a final chosen question about Donald Trump. Inner City Press insisted and asked, in English, if Italy funds militia in Libya to detain migrants and refugees. Alfano's answer was in Italian, but a handler from the Italian Mission offered a translation: that Italy has denied it. So what due diligence does Italy do, over the funds it gives to the UN-propped up government in Libya? We'll have more on this. Alamy photos here. When US President Donald Trump gave his UN reform speech on September 18, he noted that UN staff have doubled since 2000, but we haven't seen the results. He could have said more: what HAS been seen includes inaction on mass killings in Sri Lanka and Yemen, Myanmar and Cameroon. Not mentioned in Secretary General Antonio Guterres' speech, nor in his answers the two times Inner City Press has asked him, is the UN bribery guilty verdicts in the case of Ng Lap Seng / John Ashe. The UN was shown, only this summer, to be for sale. And nothing has changed. As UN General Assembly week started up on Sunday, the US announced that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson would meet with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov at 9 pm, at Russia's Mission to the UN. Inner City Press after asking Cote d'Ivoire president Alassane Ouattara a question about Myanmar - without answer - biked up to that Mission on 67th Street. There in the half light were dozens of reporters and photographers, waiting for Tillerson to leave. In the street were US body guards with machine guns. Tillerson emerged and said nothing, driving away. Video here. Most of the Western wire service correspondents, one a photographer who'd been at the UN photo op with Ouattara but not the stakeout with Ivorian media, turned and left. Then the spokesman for Lavrov, and before him for now deceased Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, emerged and briefed in Russia. Inner City Press was informed second hard that she said the topics had been Syria, Ukraine and Minsk implementation, and “North Africa.” Later the US State Department said, “U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met this evening in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. The two recommitted to deconflicting military operations in Syria, reducing the violence, and creating the conditions for the Geneva process to move forward, pursuant to United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254.” So what about North Africa? Peacekeepers in Ukraine? Watch this site.

When Tillerson Met Lavrov, US Says Syria, Russia Adds Ukraine and N. Africa, Read-Out

By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon with more

UNITED NATIONS, September 17 – As UN General Assembly week started up on Sunday, the US announced that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson would meet with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov at 9 pm, at Russia's Mission to the UN. Inner City Press after asking Cote d'Ivoire president Alassane Ouattara a question about Myanmar - without answer - biked up to that Mission on 67th Street. There in the half light were dozens of reporters and photographers, waiting for Tillerson to leave. In the street were US body guards with machine guns. Tillerson emerged and said nothing, driving away. Most of the Western wire service correspondents, one a photographer who'd been at the UN photo op with Ouattara but not the stakeout with Ivorian media, turned and left. Then the spokesman for Lavrov, and before him for now deceased Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, emerged and briefed in Russia. Inner City Press was informed second hard that she said the topics had been Syria, Ukraine and Minsk implementation, and “North Africa.” Later the US State Department said, “U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met this evening in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. The two recommitted to deconflicting military operations in Syria, reducing the violence, and creating the conditions for the Geneva process to move forward, pursuant to United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254.” So what about North Africa? Peacekeepers in Ukraine? Watch this site.

Ban Ki-moon Meets Obama, Says "Completely on Same Page on Syrian Issues," According to White House Pool, Hour Before Any UN Read-Out

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 4 -- At the UN, transparency and access are in decline, due to collusion. Rather than follow any semblance of a rule of law, the UN doles out information on a selective basis to those who support or don't critique it - some of whom then charge money for access to the "UN" information.

 Inner City Press on July 31 asked UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Stephane Dujarric why he had not informed all UN resident correspondents of Ban's August 4 visit to the White House.

  Dujarric replied, "It was sent out to UNCA.. I think that UNCA, FUNCA, as I said in the statement, I would urge both parties to take all steps and solve this issue." Video here and see below.

 On August 4 at the UN noon briefing, Dujarric's deputy Farhan Haq said the UN would be issuing a read-out. But by 2:00 pm, an hour after the White House pool read-out, nothing from the UN. Or only to the UN Censorship Alliance? 

 Here's from the White House pool, annotated below:

"Ban followed the President's remarks by hailing an "extremely constructive meeting" and spoke to the President's recent "extraordinary diplomatic achievements", mentioning the Iran nuclear deal, the normalization of ties with Cuba, and the "successful visit to Africa".

Climate change: "I highly commend President Obama's strong commitment" to climate change and his "visionary and bold leadership".

"The Clean Power Plan powers economies and generates jobs. It generates huge dividends here at home."

On the Paris US climate summit at the end of the year: Ban says he is "working very closely with President Hollande" and with Chancellor Merkel (as the head of the G-7).

Also: "this is a top priority. We have agreed on a set 17 sustainable development goals." To the President: "We really count on your strong support."

More quotes:

"We are completely on the same page on Syrian issues."

"On Yemen, there is no military solution. There is only a solution by political way, by dialogue. 80% of the population is in need of urgent humanitarian assistance."

Ban also said he commends "President Obama's leadership on South Sudan." His meeting on South Sudan in Africa "made a big impact."

Also in the Oval Office today, the whole 8-person strong delegation from the SG's office:

Amina Mohammed, Special Advisor on Post-2015 Development Planning Susanna Malcorra, Chief of Staff (officially Chef de Cabinet) Janos Pasztor, special advisor on climate change (officially UN Assistant Secretary-General on Climate Change) Robert Orr, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Strategic Planning Edmond Mulet, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Andrew Gilmour, Political Director Chang Wook-jin, Special Assistant Stéphane Dujarric, UN spokesperson."

  Of the quotes, we note Ban's "We are completely on the same page on Syrian issues." This includes, of course, the US "arm and equip" program.

  The attendees did NOT including Herve Ladsous (see below), but did include Robert Orr, who does not seem to be a UN official, at least full time, anymore. Chang Wook-jin is not much seen or known around the UN. We'll have more on this.

 On August 3, another development-focused correspondent asked Dujarric:

Question: I was away last week.  Can you describe what the decision is when information on Secretary-General’s visits or events are decided between MALU [Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit] and UNCA [United Nations Correspondents Association] and how it’s decided when to send the invites?

Spokesman:  Sure, we try to send the information out as… when we’re able to send it out.  We traditionally use the vector of the UN Correspondent’s Association or MALU.  If some felt that the information was not spread accordingly, we will try to do a better job.

Question:  Thanks.

Spokesman:  Matthew.

Inner City Press:  I second that. 

  UNCA is the UN Correspondents Association, now the UN Censorship Alliance. It is problematic for Dujarric to ever use the "vector" of UNCA, not only because not all resident correspondents aren't and dont' have to be members of UNCA, which has in fact tried to get media thrown out of the UN -- UNCA charges money to receive the information the UN gives it. We'll have more on this.

 On July 30, when disgrunted "members" of UNCA who are strong-armed into paying money in order to get such information informed Inner City Press and the Free UN Coalition for Access of the inside game, Inner City Press immediately asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric:

"Please confirm or deny that the Secretary General is visiting the White House next week, and if confirm, say how and to whom this has already been announced or disclosed.

"Separately and not as pressing as the above, Inner City Press is multiply informed of DSS Security officer, more than twenty years in UN's employ, fired or separated from service for improperly removing a bottle of wine from a reception. Given among other things the individual's length of service, please state whether there were other charges, and any impact on pension."

 While this was asked on the afternoon of July 30, the stated deadline for signing up to cover Ban's dutiful White House visit, there was no response that day. (The Spokesman was still working, for example at Morocco's Throne Day at the Waldorf Astoria's Starlight Roof.)

  Instead, on July 31 Dujarric returned with this, modified only to pardon typos:

"We asked through UNCA if journalists would like to join the press gaggle at the White House. If you would like to join, please fill out the information requested in the form below before the noon briefing. Also, include a scanned copy of your press pass... The meeting will be around 10a. You will need to be at the WH gate about  90mns before. More details to come, if you tell me you will join.

"On the ofher issue, I have no information at this time."

  Inner City Press for FUNCA immediately replied:

"UNCA does not represent all UN resident correspondents, as you know, so it was and is inappropriate to limit such information -- the Secretary General's meeting at the White House -- to UNCA. This is particularly but not only true in light of UNCA actions of which you are aware.

"This information should have been sent at least to all resident correspondents, as is is done even with information about the UN parking garage, on an e-mail list in the possession of MALU (and I assume your Office). Please confirm that this should have been and will be the practice."

  Dujarric's response was merely this:

"We can have a longer discussion on this later. Let me know if you would like to join the group at the White House."

  This was and is UNacceptable. Inner City Press went to the July 31 noon briefing and asked why all resident correspondents had not been informed so all would have equal access. Dujarric replied, "UNCA, FUNCA, I would urge both parties to take all steps and solve this issue." From the UN transcript:

Spokesman Dujarric: UNCA, FUNCA, I would… as I said in the statement, I would urge both parties to take bold steps and solve this issue once and for all.

Inner City Press:  I would just say send it to all resident correspondents like you do things about the garage and everything else.  It seems pretty straightforward.

Dujarric:  I hear you.

  First, whether or not FUNCA had come into existence after UNCA tried to silence reporting ranging from the Sri Lanka landlord conflicts of interest of its president to UN Peacekeeping's Herve Ladsous, UN correspondents are not required to pay allegiance to UNCA. So the notice should not be through them.

  Second, it is UNseemly for the UN to try to steer business to UNCA, whose "leadership" not only hasn't criticized Ban's lack of transparency but has actively tried to get the investigative Press that does report on this thrown out. This is the UN's Alliance.

  UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has not held a sit-down press conference in months. From an open meeting in which he gave a speech to UN Peacekeeping, embroiled in rape cover up scandals, Ban's security ejected Inner City Press, at the demand of UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous.

  But the UN tries to conceal this by partnering with an also in decay UN Correspondents Association, which does not complain about Ban or the ejection of the Press by Ladsous -- in fact, UNCA itself tried to eject the Press for reporting on its current president's conflict of interest, unilaterally granting a UN screening for a Sri Lanka government film denying war crimes after renting an apartment to Sri Lanka's ambassador, here.

(Inner City Press on July 30 asked Ban's spokesman about more UN assistance with covering up of war crimes in Sri Lanka, so far without answer.)

UNCA told only those which pay it money:

"Dear Colleagues, The Secretary-General will be going to Washington for a meeting with President Obama on Wednesday 4 August. The meeting will take place around 10am.

There will be a photo-op/brief remarks by POTUS and the SG in the Oval Office after the meeting.  If any UNCA members are interested in attending, as the White House said they could accommodate a few journalists, please contact Stephane Dujarric by tomorrow afternoon, Thursday. July 30th:

Stephane Dujarric (Mr.)
Spokesman for the Secretary-General
United Nations Headquarters |  Room: S-233
New York, NY, 10017

Transportation to Washington is the correspondent's own responsibility.

Giampaolo Pioli, UNCA President"

This notice was given to Inner City Press by dissatisfied UNCA "members" who are strong-armed into paying money in order to get such information. (We note that August 4 is Tuesday, while Wednesday is August 5.) Inner City Press sought confirmation more than an hour before this publication -- "Please confirm or deny that the Secretary General is visiting the White House next week, and if confirm, say how and to whom this has already been announced or disclosed" -- but none was received.

  Relatedly at the UN, unthinking support is sought from outsiders without full disclosure - for example Leonardo DiCaprio, see below. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon holds no press conferences in the UN, even as the Yemen humanitarian pause he announced didn't materialize; on July 21 while his Deputy Spokesperson said of Ban, "this week, he is away from the office," his UN scheduled said "all appointments are internal."

In late June Ban's security detail ejected the Press from an open meeting in which Ban spoke to UN Peacekeeping force commanders. That ejection was at the demand of UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous - this is confirmed, by Security which says it will not again act act as bouncer for Ladsous, who now rather than speaking at the UNTV stakeout like his predecessorssummons a few friendly journalists to whom to deliver or deposit "news." The new Free UN Coalition for Access challenged this; the old UN Correspondents Association says nothing, as its past and current leadership takes advantage of, or doesn't care about, the lack of access.

  Given these trends, discontent within UNCA rank and file led to the release of these [annotated] minutes of a July 13 meeting of UNCA, now the UN's Censorship Alliance, below. These minutes state that 

"Giampaolo Pioli announced dinner on Monday, December 14, at Cipriani Wall Street. Site was selected because of SG’s schedule and space availability. Honorees include Prince Albert of Monaco and most likely Leonardo DiCaprio whose final confirmation is expected in August."

  DiCaprio may conflate the UN with this UN Censorship Alliance; it is unclear if he knows his inviter for example rented one of his apartments to an alleged war criminal, that used the organization to demand that an article reporting this be removed (censored) from the Internet or the investigative Press ejected from the UN.

  An award at Cipriani sounds nice - but from whom? This is the sloppiness, much of it intentional, at the UN. We'll have more on this.

"Giampaolo Pioli (Chair), more proxies than present

"Giampaolo announced dinner at Cipriani Wall Street, "special discount price of $100." Site was selected because of SG’s schedule and space availability. Honorees include Prince Albert of Monaco and most likely Leonardo DiCaprio whose final confirmation is expected in August. UNCA members were encouraged to apply for the media awards [No conflict there, of course].  

Security arrangements for the upcoming UNGA:  Green Ps will not have to wait in the same line as those seeking accreditation... High speed internet issues: a possible solution is having a separate access code for media center reporters in the NLB. [UNCA seems most concerned with obtained more privileges than other journalists.]

 UNSC stakeout: No access to the council when meetings are not being held, but reporters can move there before meetings once UN TV sets up. [UNCA "leaders" have tried to limit other journalists like this before: FUNCA resists it.]

 Reporters will be able to pay for high speed internet and access to other Time Warner channels for a fee. Anyone who wants to subscribe to TW needs to inform Melanie by email in order to provide a list to the installers. [So UNCA is a middleman, purportedly for all journalists, for corporate Time Warner?]

 Review of procedures for holding UNCA press conferences: It was decided that UNCA will be more selective in hosting press conferences and will focus on subjects and speakers that are a big draw. Meeting adjourned at 5:00 pm. It was followed by a wine and cheese reception."

  UNCA "press conferences" have degenerated into Italian book club events; previously, Pioli hosted his former tenant Palitha Kohona to screen a video denying war crimes in Sri Lanka, then used the organization to demand a Press article about it be removed from the Internet. This is the UN Censorship Alliance.

The invitation, which even most UNCA members ignored, said "At the end of the meeting, we will have a glass of wine to wish everyone a good summer vacation."

  Whether the Hamptons or the Amalfi coast, when UN press access is in decline, it time to share a glass of wine.

 2015 opened with Ladsous openly refused to answer Press questions, video here.

  "Leadership" of the UN Correspondents Association, far from questioning this, took advantage by grabbing two qeustions, just as UNCA demands and most often wastes side-aside first questions at UN press conferences.

  The following day, January 23, there was a UN Security Council meeting about human rights and UN Peacekeeping missions, including MONUSCO. But the meeting was closed to the public and press. Inner City Press for theFree UN Coalition for Access asked and asks, Why? The old United Nations Correspondents Association, on the other hand, not only doesn't protest such closures - it scheduled its only "faux fighters" meeting for exactly the same time.

  This decayed UN Correspondents Association, run by president Giampaolo Pioli who has himself demanded censorship, held its annual meeting on January 23, and even by its own account, not a work about access problems or lack of information.

Here was the agenda, annotated, now with "minutes" as provided by disgruntled members who say the UN "makes" them pay UNCA, added in italics:

Space, "including journalists on the waiting list for office space" -- on January 23, UNCA's "leadership" said that "that after meeting with DPI working space on the 4th floor will become available to 6-8 journalists beginning in February."

  Even or especially if this representation is true, there is a problem: UNCA is essentially selling or trying to sell these UN spaces. UNCA tells correspondents that if they pay money to join it, they will be helped in getting office space from the UN. Is this proper?

Less than a quarter of those UNCA took $66,485 from attended this meeting; numerous Executive Committee members did not attend. Pioli bragged of "a larger number of sponsors," but the minutes did not list them. There'll be more on this.

  Meanwhile, UNCA leadership is proposal to downgrade some with "white" UN passed to "green," requiring them to go through a separate entrance and metal detectors. UNCA is responsible for Banning many from entry into the UN.

"UNCA room activities, press conferences and events for 2015" -- Pioli in his last tenure granted the Ambassador of Sri Lanka Palitha Kohona, a former tenant of Pioli in one of his Manhattan apartments, the use of UNCA to screen inside the UN a film denying Rajapaksa government war crimes. It was reporting about this that Pioli ordered Inner City Press to remove from the Internet. There have been no reforms since. 

  Now UNCA brags that HRW will use or be used by its space. This is shameful - and we'll have more on it. Pioli sat in on the January 26 noon briefing, apparently to see if any of these outrages would be aired, typically asking no questions at all. 

"Social media" - despite Ban's UN purporting to use UNCA to reach all journalists at the UN, the Press is blocked from UNCA's moribund social media presence. Is this attributable to all 15 Executive Committee members? Just Pioli?

 On January 23, Pioli said that the Reuters correspondent who grabbed two questions after Ladsous said "I don't respond to your questions Mister" is in charge of UNCA tweets. 

"UNCA soccer" - this involved providing a craven photo op for, yes, Ban Ki-moon

"UNCA Awards 2015" - in December 2014, UNCA gave out an award about Haiti with no mention of the UN bringing cholera there, or UN peacekeepers shooting at democracy demonstrators. Ban Ki-moon was in attendance and they had him take pictures with another of their awardees, which was mischaracterized as  UN award. As with office space, it seems that UNCA sells the UN.

   Similar to the claim that UN labor issues are handed in happy one-way meeting with staff during country visits, it is with this that it seems the UN will partner to say it has listened on media access issues.

  After the September 2014 General Assembly week UNCA "minutes" and partial list of grievances were provided to FUNCA by one of UNCA's many disgruntled members. They are laughable. The ejection of non-French journalists from the UN Briefing Room was not mentioned, nor the physical blocking of filming.

  Instead, UNCA complains that there is too much news during the General Assembly -- they want fewer side events -- and apparently too many journalists at the UN: they want a private wi-fi password leaving the current open wi-fi only for "guests and others."

  Tellingly, one of the UNCA proposals is for a booklet co-signed by Ban Ki-moon and UNCA.

  With this bogus list and presumably seeking that booklet, they say that the UN's Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit proposes to meet only with their Executive Committee. This is akin to a fake wrestling match, in which the two sides pretend to fight, for an audience.

  The Free UN Coalition for Access has told MALU, but repeats: if they even aspire to legitimacy, the UN must reach out to all journalists, at the UN and ideally beyond, and not that subset which pay UNCA money. That is a decidedly partial subset: a fake wrestling match. 

 The UN while throwing out media from workspace gives its UN Censorship Alliance a large room, which it then limits to those that pay it money in dues. Here's how it works: a new media at the UN is told, from the pinnacle of the UN's Censorship Alliance, to pay UNCA $90 and UNCA will get the UN to give the media UN office space. 

     Today's UN Censorship Alliance is unlikely to get any meaningful media access problem addressed -- members its Executive Committee have, in fact, caused or colluded in many of the decreases in access. They drafted a rule with MALU to eliminate journalist workspace at the Security Council stakeout; they withheld audio tapes and transcripts of a Ban "interview" with them, even from their own members.

  The Free UN Coalition for Access targeted these censorship practices in aSeptember 29 flier, online, in the UN including on the "open" bulletin board it got the UN to install (the flier was torn down, one can only imagine by whom, but has gone back up.)

   The French-only briefing was described on HuffPost Live, here.)

Footnote: as noted the old UN Correspondents Association, which is given privileged status and set-aside first questions nearly always used for softballs, has done nothing in recent years to improve or even defend press access. In fact, members of UNCA's Executive Committee have tried to get the investigative Press thrown out of the UN, and there have been no reforms since. It's become the UN's Censorship Alliance. They provide Ban Ki-moon with photo ops playing soccer with them. This is today's UN - and FUNCA is fighting to hold the UN to its stated principles.

   

When UN's Ban Ki-Moon Called Israel's Netanyahu, Some of His March 18 If-Asked Elements Were Dropped

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, March 20 -- Three day after Israel's election, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on March 20 called Benyamin Netanyahu with congratulations and two "urgings," according to the UN read-out:

"The Secretary-General called Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel today to congratulate him on his recent electoral victory.
The Secretary-General told the Prime Minister that he looked forward to working with the new government upon its formation.

"The Secretary-General also urged the Prime Minister to release the tax revenue currently held by Israel but owed to the Palestinian Authority. Lastly, the Secretary-General reiterated his view that the two-state solution was the only way forward and urged the Prime Minister to renew Israel’s commitment to that goal."

Back on March 18, UN did not issue any statement. Instead, its deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq waited to be asked the question, then read out word for word an "if-asked" about Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's position that was not put online as a statement, nor put on the counter in the UN Spokesperson's office. But here, to compare it with the read-out two days later, is what the if-asked said:

“The Secretary-General welcomes the announcement of the preliminary results of yesterday's Israeli general elections and hopes for the rapid establishment of a new Government that reflects the will of all Israeli voters. It is incumbent on the new Israeli Government, once formed, to create the conditions for a negotiated final peace agreement - with the active engagement of the international community - that will end the Israeli occupation and realize the creation of a viable Palestinian state, living in peace and security alongside Israel. This includes the cessation of illegal settlement building in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The Secretary-General firmly believes this is also the best and only way forward for Israel to remain a democratic state. He urges the Israeli Government to resume, without further delay, the transfer of the tax revenues it is obligated to dispense to the Government of Palestine in accordance with the Paris Protocol.”

  The reference to the democratic state was dropped; on March 18, Israel's Ron Prosor put out a statement that

"The United Nations may disagree with the policies of the Israeli government, but there is one fact that can’t be disputed - that Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East. Yesterday Israelis went to the polls and 72% of citizens voted – that’s one of the highest voter turnouts in the world. If the UN is so concerned about the future of the Palestinian people, it should be asking why President Abbas is in the tenth year of a five-year presidential term or why Hamas uses the Palestinian people as human shields.”

  The UN's March 20 read-out of Ban Ki-moon called to Netanyahu dropped several elements of the March 18 If-Asked.

  Back on January 5, days after the UN Security Council rejected Palestine's draft resolution, Palestinian Observer to the UN Riyad Mansour wrote to UN Security Council President Christian Barros of Chile  to complain of Israel's decision to withheld Palestinian tax revenue, calling it piracy.

   Mansour  said “Israel, the Occupying power, has resumed the theft of Palestinian tax revenues in direct retaliation for the legitimate, steps taken by the Palestinian leadership,” including filing to join the International Criminal Court.

  Mansour said “we reiterate such such an action constitutes an act of piracy” and asked the UN Security Council members to “uphold their responsibilities toward addressing this illegal situation in all its manifestations.”

  Inner City Press on January 5 asked Barros about a new Palestine resolution; he said he hadn't been informed of one, formally or informally, but that he'd read media reports there might be a move "next week."

 Now it's been far longer. But now, with the results, how much longer?