After Gaza Deal and UNSC Statement, Israel Talks Iran, Susan Rice Talk Benghazi and Opposes Observer State Status

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, November 21 -- For a week on Gaza, the Security Council met behind closed doors. Finally on Wednesday after the ceasefire was announced in Cairo, the Council agreed on a Press Statement.

  After President Hardeep Singh Puri read it out, Inner City Press asked him about the delay, and what role if any he thought the Council had in the reaching of the ceasefire. He said it was not yet time for assessments, but at least "we got an outcome."

  But what outcome? Inner City Press asked Israel's Deputy Permanent Representative Waxman is the deal means ships to Gaza will no longer be intercepted, but only inspected. He answered that the week showed the volume of weapons Iran is getting into Gaza.

  When Moroccan Ambassador Loulichki, who represented the Arab Group throughout the week, came out Inner City Press asked him what impact he thought the week would have on the November 29 voting on Palestine's resolution to upgrade to Observer State status at the UN.

  Loulichki said that it should be kept separate, that the position of regional groups remains the same. Earlier in the day Hardeep Singh Puri, this time representing the IBSA grouping of India, Brazil and South Africa, read out a statement on Gaza that included support for the Palestine move for Observer State status.

  When US Ambassador Susan Rice came out, and after she gave a well-prepared answer to a question on her TV appearances on the attack on Benghazi, Inner City Press asked her about Palestine's application:

Inner City Press: I'm going to ask you a Gaza question although I definitely respect the right of people to ask a follow up to that [Benghazi]. I just wanted to ask you one-on Palestine, the controversy here at the UN about Palestine seeking observer state status. You heard Ambassador Loulichki say there's no relation between the fighting in Gaza and the vote, and Israel obviously said states should think again. The U.S. opposes the vote, but what effect do you think this week of fighting-do you agree that this shows that the Palestinian Authority has no control over Gaza? Should it make fewer states vote in favor of Palestine becoming a state observer at the UN?

Ambassador Rice: Well, I'll let other states comment on how they see the Palestinian bid for observer state status in the General Assembly. From the United States' point of view, we've been very clear. Our goal remains a negotiated, two-state solution. A Jewish democratic state of Israel living side by side in peace and security with an independent, viable Palestinian state. The only way to accomplish that in the real world is through direct negotiations, and we continue to urge the parties to come back to the table and to resume those direct negotiations. We view unilateral steps, including the bid for upgraded status to statehood-observer state status at the General Assembly-to be counterproductive and not take us closer to that goal, and, therefore, we strongly oppose it.

We'll be here on November 29, and until and after then. Watch this site.

At UN, Weakness of Quartet on Palestine Decried, Blair & Syria in the Wings

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 25 -- As the Security Council gathered Wednesday for its periodic group therapy on the Middle East "and the questions of Palestine," with 41 speakers signed up, topics ranged from Syria and the bombing in Bulgaria to the Quartet, Palestine's debt and Israel's treatment of migrants.

UN envoy Robert Serry spoke first, saying among other things that the Palestinian Authority owes some $1.1 billion to banks, which he did not identify.

Palestine's Observer Riyad Mansour, his arm in a sling, ranged from detentions to settlements to a denunciation of the "so-called 'Levy Committee report,' a right wing, Israeli government appointed committee that... recommends the Israel legalize 'outposts,' a recommendation that defies international law."

Mansour ended by telling July's Security Council president Nestor Osorio of Colombia, "Muchas gracias."

Israel's Deputy Permanent Representative Heim Waxman began with the bombing in Bulgaria -- whose Permanent Representative has yet to express agreement with Israel's theory of the case -- and shifts to the treatment of bloggers in the West Bank, adding that the International Monetary Fund says the GDP in Gaza grew 20 percent in 2011.

The US was represented by Jeffrey DeLaurentis, who started with Syria and chemical weapons, shifted to Lebanon and then to "comprehensive Middle East peace." Might this include a Security Council trip to Palestine? One wag said, "Not before November."

Pakistan brought up the trip and invitation, saying that the trip should take place.

France's Gerard Araud speechified about Syria, saying that France will continue to support the opposition, including on the ground. One wondered, as in Libya, where France air dropped weapons into the Nafusa mountains, while now presenting itself with clean hands in the Arms Trade Treaty talks?

South Africa's Baso Sangqu extended things into Israel's treatment of African migrants, and then asked the question of the UN's weak role in the Quartet. We note, including on the issue of Palestine's debt to banks, that Quartet envoy Tony Blair is also back by JPMorgan Chase.

When the Council broke for lunch at 1:30, ten Arab Ambassador came to the televised stake out. Mansour asked Inner City Press, "Where are your colleagues?" 

But after Saudi Arabia's Permanent Representative read a statment denouncing settlements and saying the Security Council trip should take place, he tried to leave without taking any questions.

"What about the Quarter," Inner City Press asked, "should it continue?"

The Saudi Ambassador stopped and replied, it should continue, but take up its responsibilities.

Syria, it should be noted, as not in this line up, but is scheduled to speak inside the Security Council on Wednesday afternoon. They often note that sessions said to be on Palestine are taking into other issues, now mostly Syria itself. Expect fireworks -- watch this site.

As Israel Blames Hezbollah for Bomb, Bulgaria Not Yet Sure, Authorship a Secret

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, July 19 -- After UN Security Council president Nestor Osorio read out a press statement about the killing of seven Israeli tourists in Bulgaria, Israel's Deputy Permanent Representative Haim Waxman took to the UN microphone and said Hezbollah and Al Quds were responsible.

  Inner City Press asked for a bit more information. He said he couldn't say more, but the attacks bore all the fingerprints of Hezbollah, citing the killing of 85 in Argentina 18 years ago.

  But when Bulgaria's Permanent Representative Stefan Tafrov spoke, he was asked if he yet knew who did it. No, he said. 

  He praised the Security Council for issuing its press statement so quickly, noting that when Bulgaria was on the Security Council in 2002-03, during a month he was president it took two weeks to negotiate a statement about Saddam Hussein.

Noting that the increase in speed is due to the Security Council never trying to say who is responsible -- since a notably error of blaming the Madrid bombings on ETA not Al Qaeda -- Inner City Press asked the Bulgarian Ambassador if such lack of attribution is useful. He again said, it is too early to say who is responsible.

Nor would he or Osorio say which Council member was responsible for drafting the statement. Late Wednesday, Inner City Press was reliably informed that Germany had been asked to draft it; the source said that Germany is now "always eager on matters concerning Israel." But Thursday, no one would confirm authorship or initial drafting. And so it goes at the UN.