Palestine and The American Veto: A Dreadful History in Palestine’s Memory

This past September, Palestine waged an important battle in the Security Council for its inclusion as a state with full United Nation membership. The American veto — rejecting and threatening such a step, in addition to other actions that aid Palestinians — made it clear that this world power has no serious solution to the conflict that this people has endured for decades.

The United States, as is now customary, reaffirms its alignment with Israel by using its veto to abort any resolution related to the Palestinian conflict. It has used this authority ten of times in the Security Council with regard to the Palestinian issue to prevent sanctions from being imposed on Israel – a country that bombs, murders, blockades, arrests and divides while destroying the infrastructure of the Palestinian territories.
The unlimited support given to Israel’s Zionist occupation and to its racist government reveals the true face of the US as being opposed to any possible solution to the Palestinian cause, though such a solution could lead to a lasting peace and stability in the Middle East.
Given its partisan policy, the US government will never serve as a fair mediator; rather, it is a hypocritical government that employs double standards. Though it verbally expresses its interest in seeking a solution to the conflict, it supports colonial practices on the West Bank and rejects any solution based on international law. Such a solution could allow the recognition of the Palestinian population’s national and historical rights to create an independent Palestinian state, with Jerusalem as its capital, and the return of the refugees, who currently constitute 65 percent of the population.

The United States describes the Palestinian struggle as “terrorism,” be it the armed struggle endorsed by that same international organization or its popular resistance. Nevertheless the US failed to publically describe its own current struggle against Palestinian at the international level and in the United Nations as “diplomatic terrorism,” though this threatens world stability and peace in the region. These actions were undertaken to rally more support in the new holy war against the alleged Arab “aggressors” and in support of the “defenseless” state of Israel.

Those who still want the United States to be an intermediary in the new rounds of direct negotiations with Israel — without conditions or guarantees — should know that this empire that fails to operate in good faith with respect to the Palestinians. One needs only recall the racist statements made by Republican candidate Newt Gingrich in which he denies the existence of the Palestinian people and considers them an “invented” people. It’s should also be noted thatGingrich is currently leading in the polls to become his party’s aspirant to the White House.

The following are dates when the United States used its veto in support of the Zionist state and its criminal, murderous and racist policy against the Palestinian people.

1973
7/26 – US opposed a resolution presented by India, Indonesia, Panama, Peru, Sudan, Yugoslavia and Guinea, that reaffirms the Palestinians’ rights and demanded Israel withdraw from the Arab occupied territory.
1976
1/25 – Washington uses its veto to prevent the approval of a resolution presented by Pakistan, Panama, Tanzania and Rumania demanding the Palestinian people’s rights to self-determination and the establishment of the independent state in compliance with UN Charter, the necessity for Israel to withdraw from the occupied territories in June 1967, and opposing the establishment of Jewish settlements in the occupied territories.
3/25 – US voted against a resolution presented by a Third World group of nations that demanded Israel’s abstention from all types of actions against Arab inhabitants in the occupied territories.
6/29 – The US used its right to veto against a resolution presented by Guyana, Pakistan, Panama and Tanzania reaffirming the Palestinian people’s rights to self-determination, their return to their national home, independence and sovereignty.
1980
4/30 – The US vetoed a resolution presented by Tunisia demanding the Palestinian people’s right to practice their legitimate rights.
1982
In 1982, The United States exercised its veto seven times, as follows:
1/20 –It vetoed a resolution demanding sanctions against Israel for occupying Syria’s Golan Heights.
2/25 – It vetoed a resolution introduced by Jordan demanding the authorization of local authorities in Palestine to perform their jobs and eliminate all measures applied by Israel in the West Bank.
4/2 – The US vetoed a resolution that condemned Israel for an attempt against the life of Nablus mayor Bassam Al-Shakaa.
4/20 – It vetoed an Arab resolution condemning the attack against the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
9/6 – It vetoed a Spanish resolution condemning the Israeli invasion of Lebanon.
6/25 –It vetoed a resolution presented by France in the Security Council concerning the Israeli invasion of Lebanon.
8/6 – The United States obstructed a resolution condemning Israel for its aggressive escalation of violence in the Middle East, specifically in the case of Lebanon.
1983
2/15 – The US voted against a resolution decrying the slaughter of civilians that occurred in the Palestinian refugee camps of Sabra and Chatila, in Lebanon.
1984
The US voted against a resolution stating that the Agreements of the 1949 IV Geneva Convention could be applied to the occupied regions in Lebanon.
1985
3/12 – US used its right of veto against a resolution presented by Lebanon in the Security Council condemning Israel’s practices in the south of that Arab country.
9/13 – Washington used the veto to impede a resolution presented in the Security Council condemning reprisals against Palestinians.
1986
1/17 –The US blocked the endorsement of a resolution presented in the Security Council demanding that Israeli troops retreat from Lebanon.
1/30 –The American government vetoed a resolution presented in the Security Councilprotesting Israel’s attack on the Al-Aqsa Mosque and rejecting Israel’s claims of Jerusalem as its capital.
2/7 – The American veto hamper a resolution criticizing Israel’s hijacking of a Libyan civilian airplane.
1987
The US used its veto to oppose a resolution denouncing the “iron fist” policy of breaking the bones of children who threw stones during the first intifada.
1988
1/18 – Washington used its veto against a resolution presented in the Security Council denouncing Israeli aggression in the south of Lebanon and that demanded the end of acts of aggression against Lebanese territory and measures against the civilian population.
2/1 – The US used it veto right against a proposal introduced in the Security Council demanding the end of Israeli reprisals against Palestinians in the occupied territories.
4/15 – The US voted against a resolution condemning Israel for using its“iron fist” policy against the Palestinian intifada in the occupied territories after eight Palestinian citizens were extradited.
5/10 – The US voted against a resolution presented in the Security Council condemning the Israeli invasion of Southern Lebanon.
12/12 –The US used its veto to prevent the Security Council from approving a resolution condemning Israeli land and air aggression against Lebanon.
1989
2/1 – The US, with its veto, aborted the United Nations Security Council’s efforts to pass a declaration condemning Israeli practices in the Palestinian occupied territories and also demanded compliance with the Geneva Convention regarding human rights in war time situations.
2/18 – The US voted against a resolution that condemned Israeli’s human rights violations in the Arab occupied territories.
6/9 – The US used its veto against a resolution presented by the Non-Aligned Countries condemning Israel’s repressive policy in the occupied territories.
11/7 –The US used its veto to oppose a resolution presented in the Security Council condemning Israeli’s practices in the occupied territories.
1990
6/1 – The US voted against a resolution introduced in the Security Council by the Non-Aligned Countries for sending an international commission to investigate repressive practices used by the Israelis against the Palestinian people.
1995
3/17 – The Security Council failed to reach an agreement demanding Israel to stop its decision to confiscating 53 “dunums”(530,000 square meters, or 130 acres)of Arab-occupied land in East Jerusalem.
1997
3/7 – Washington obstructs a resolution that demanded the end of Israel’s colonization activities through Jewish settlementsbeing set up in Monte Abu Ghuneim, in occupied East Jerusalem.
3/21 – The US voteed against a resolution denouncing Israel construction of Jewish settlements in Mount Abu Ghuneim, in part of Arab-occupied Jerusalem.
2001

3/27 –The US used its veto to impede the UN Security Council from accepting a resolution that would permit the creation of a group of international observers acting to protect Palestinians in West Bank and Gaza.
12/14 – Washington aborted a resolution that demanded Israel to withdraw from zones under the Palestinian National Authority and that condemned actions against civilians.
2002
12/20 – Washington frustrated a resolution presented by Syria condemning Israel for killing several UN workers and for the deliberate destruction of a FAO warehouse in Palestinian occupied territories at the end of November of that year.
2003
7/16 – The US maintained its veto against a resolution that protected the life of Palestinian president Yasser Arafat following the Israeli Knesset’s decision to kill him.
7/14 – The US voted against a resolution demanding the destruction of the “Apartheid Wall,” which was constructed by Israel to divide and annex the territories under the control of the Palestinian National Authority and which violates the integrity of lands owned by Palestinian citizens.
2004
3/25 – US again votedagainst a resolution that castigated Israel for the murder of Jeque Ahmad Yassin, the founder of the Hamas Islamic Resistance Movement.
10/5 – Washington frustrated a resolution that called on Israel to cease attacks against North Gaza and demanded the withdrawal of its troops from the area.
2006
7/13 – Due to a US veto, the Security Council failed to pass a resolution demanding the release and exchange of a Israeli soldier detained by Palestinian organizations for the freeing of Palestinian prisoners in the prisonsof the occupation forces. The failed resolution had also demanded the end of intrusionsby Israeli troops into the territories of the Gaza Strip.
2011
2/19 – US voted to defeat a resolution presented by the Arab Group condemning Israeli colonization of the Palestinian occupied territories, though 14 of the 15 Security Council’s permanent members voted in favor of the resolution.

Via Democratic Front For the Liberation of Palestine DFLP