Why did Israel fail to back US-supported UN resolution on Crimea?

The United States often stands virtually alone, save for the company of its colonies like Micronesia and the Marshall Islands, as well as other settler-colonial states like Canada, in opposing UN resolutions critical of Israel.

Israel did not return the favor today by backing a resolution the US feels very strongly about.

The UN General Assembly passed resolution A/68/L.39 condemning Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

As the final tally shows, 100 countries voted in favor, 11 against and 58 abstained on the resolution, which was sponsored by Canada, Costa Rica, Germany, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine.

The United States, predictably, voted in favor, Russia against, and China abstained.

But Israel was a no-show, not voting at all. Perhaps it was because Israeli diplomats are on strike.

That would be a convenient excuse. But surely even the Israeli diplomats’ union would make an exception for a vote that Israel’s strongest backer – the Obama administration – feels is absolutely critical, as these fervent tweets by US ambassador Samantha Power indicate:

Uncomfortable precedent

Perhaps Israel was disturbed by the language of today’s resolution, which “Calls upon all States, international organizations and specialized agencies not to recognize any alteration of the status of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol” and to “refrain from any action or dealing that might be interpreted as recognizing any such altered status.”

Israel, of course, remains in flagrant violation of dozens of similarly worded UN General Assembly and Security Council resolutions including Security Council Resolution 465 of 1980, deeming Israel’s annexation of Jerusalem and its settlements on occupied land to be illegal.

That resolution declared that “all measures taken by Israel to change the physical character, demographic composition, institutional structure or status of the Palestinian and other Arab territories occupied since 1967, including Jerusalem, or any part thereof, have no legal validity and that Israel’s policy and practices of settling parts of its population and new immigrants in those territories constitute a flagrant violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.”

It also called “upon all States not to provide Israel with any assistance to be used specifically in connexion with settlements in the occupied territories.”

Israel lying low

Today’s no-show at the UN is only the latest instance of Israel, a serial annexer of other countries’ lands, trying to evade having to give a position on Crimea.

Earlier this month, a Jewish-Ukrainian MP expressed frustration at Israel’s “silence on Crimea.”

The MP, Oleksandr Feldman, said he was disappointed at what The Times of Israel termed “a rather toothless statement the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem released …. reportedly after American pressure.”

Israel expressed “great concern” and urged “diplomacy” but said absolutely nothing supporting the Obama administration’s strident denunciations of Russia’s move.

Israel, apparently, has a enough of a sense of irony not to condemn Russia – and perhaps set a precedent for itself.

The US, by constrast, continues to shamelessly impose sanctions and issue threats regarding Russia’s absorption of Crimea, while at the same time financing and shielding Israel’s continued annexation, occupation and colonization of Syrian, Lebanese and Palestinian land.

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Comments

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Because this has been the Israeli objective of their ethnic cleansing from the beginning: WAR CRIMINAL citizenry voting in an election on whether they want to be part of Israel or Palestine.

Israelis fail to grasp International Law Context that non-citizens CANNOT vote an EVERY nation-state: ABSURDITY that (IV) Geneva Article 49 WAR CRIMINALS of Israeli citizenry could vote to legitimize their war crimes of moving the respective borders of Israel & Palestine defined in UNGA 181 Part II Boundaries.

UN Charter, Chapter VII Article 39's Breach of the 1949 Armistice Agreements of Resolute Act of UNSC 242: UNSC 242 Compliance mandates Israelis vacate their war criminal presence in UNGA 181 Palestine West Bank & Gaza

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Double Standards in dealing with problems of the world.

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They should beg to differ - Crimea was included into Russia after referendum and with full rights for population as citizens (not mentioning Crimea as a part of Russia till 1954). Zionists should point that they invaded and occupied Palestine and ethnic cleansed and keep the reminding native population under aparteid rule (and claim that Zionists from Europe are somehow linked to Palestine - because their Book says so). So, you see, while USA tool (aka UN) is condemning Russia, there is nothing to condemn Zionists of - it is something very different!

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Voting with a gun on your head make this referendum legal ? Really ? I uderstand that you are not used to think by yourself but in the deepest of your soul, you know that this is not right. That's why 3/4 of the world is against what the russians are doing, simple as that !

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Or, to be precise, in some imperialist prop he repeats. Some, because even some imperialist media admitted than Crimea population did want to join Russia. And even admitted they have reasons to do it. Even Obama, as far as I know chosed not to use this stupid lie about "gun" but instead used other lies LOL But sure Martin knows better

And, of course, USA is not against Afghanistan "elections" , while their dear ally Saudi king do not have even such "elections".

And "3/4 of the world" somehow excluded China, India, Brazil and several other tiny states, but as a matter of fact even when EU rulers took some time off bombing and invading far lands to vote against Russia, their own population is not support them so much. Of course, EU rulers bomb without asking their population as well.

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Voting when you have a military force occupying your country is voting with a gun on your head sorry that I have to explain this to you. First of all I am Canadian and not American so Obama is not my president and it's not because others made wrong actions that this legitimate the Russian invasion. They didn't had to guts to put the Russian flag on their uniform and we're masked that tells a lot.. Just like thieves...

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If you are a Canadian, Obama is your President. Canada created the UN Peacekeeper and USED to be in the forefront of peaceful conflict resolution. Sadly, with this Harper government, we have become a "proud combat nation" (Peter Mackay, 'Defense' Minister 2006) and now could not even fill a school bus with blue berets, putting $$ into the military and doing the bidding of that imperialistic org.y called NATO. Canada does the bidding of the US and Israel--why Canada even approved the 2006 bombing of Lebanon as 'self defense' and sent in the planes to bomb Libya (in 'self defence', no doubt)! The US/EU et al hypocrisy is so fast and thick my guess is that Israel didn't see the need to add theirs. But don't for a moment think that their machinations are not behind the scenes as in Syria, etc.

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The US as co-belligerant with Israel absolves Israel of any and all crimes, agressions,
murders, rapes, annexations etc. They are our "allies". Allies in crime.

An in-depth analysis of the US role over 35 years is in Naseer H. Aruri's DISHONEST
BROKER (South End Press, 2003).

In the US version no steps by the US/West which may have been provocative
to Russia were ever taken. Not in the building of more bases encircling Russia.. Not in the expansion of US organizations towards Russia.

Would the US then appreciate many Russian bases like US "SOFA's accountable
only to Russia springing up in myriad nations surrounding the US. In, say,
Cuba, Venezua, the Phillipines etc?? Would the US jump for joy if several
of these nations became members of the SHANGHAI COOPERATIVE ORGANIZATION (SCO), a NATO-like organization in the East which already
comprises half of the nations of the planet??

I don't think so.