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Bibi: Diplomatic Coordination with Obama Has “Been Excellent” in Run-Up to UNGA

Lauren Samet — September 19, 2011 – 1:12 pm | Foreign Policy | Israel | Obama Comments (0) Add a comment

An article in today’s Jerusalem Post discusses why Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu believes cooperation between the Obama Administration and Israel is at its best since President Barack Obama took office. Because of the strong support he is receiving from the Obama Administration, Netanyahu declared confidently at his weekly cabinet meeting that the Palestinian “attempt to be accepted as a member of the UN will fail.”

According to JPost:

Israeli-US cooperation over the past four months has been better than any other time since President Barack Obama came into office in January 2009, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told Likud ministers at a meeting on Sunday.

Netanyahu, according to one source at the meeting, said that diplomatic coordination with Washington has ‘been excellent’ in the run-up to the UN General Assembly meeting this week and the Palestinian Authority’s move to go to the Security Council and seek full UN membership.

Jpost reported on more of Netanyahu’s remarks:

‘It will fail because it must go through the UN Security Council. Decisions that are binding on UN members pass through the Security Council. I am convinced that the activity of the US, which is deeply cooperating with us, as well as the activity of other governments with which we are also cooperating, will result in the failure of this attempt.’

At the same time, Netanyahu also said it was clear that the proposal - blocked in the Security Council - would pass in the General Assembly, but this ‘has neither the same weight nor the same importance’ as a Security Council resolution. As a result of efforts coordinated with the US and other ‘important countries,’ it was not even clear the Palestinians will get whatever they want from the General Assembly either, he said.

To view a video of the Prime Minister’s comments, please click here, or watch below.

&amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;(Translation by GPO)&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;The truth is that Israel wants peace and the truth is&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;that the Palestinians are doing everything to torpedo direct peace negotiations.&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;They have ignored every proposal that I have made,&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt; in my Knesset speech, in my speech at Bar Ilan University, and in my speech to the US Congress.&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;They have avoided coming to direct negotiations after this government&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;made an unprecedented decision to freeze new construction in the settlements.&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;For ten months, they simply were unwilling to come and negotiate.&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;They need to understand that, despite their current attempt to again circumvent the negotiations&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;by going to the UN, peace will be achieved only through direct negotiations.&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;Their attempt to be accepted as a member of the UN will fail.&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;The Palestinians’ attempt will fail because it has to go through… (interruption)&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;Now…&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;The Palestinians’ attempt to be accepted as a member of the UN is what they declared &amp;amp;ndash; one year ago &amp;amp;ndash; as their objective;&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;this is what Abu Mazen recently declared as a goal. This attempt will fail.&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;It will fail because it must go through the UN Security Council. Decisions that are binding on UN members pass through the Security Council.&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;I am convinced that the activity of the US, which is deeply cooperating with us,&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;as well as the activity of other governments with which we are also cooperating, will result in the failure of this attempt.&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;The UN also has the General Assembly in which almost any decision can be passed.&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;It is possible to decide there that the sun rises in the West and sets in the East,&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;and this would pass there. But it has neither the same weight nor the same importance.&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;This is not the Palestinians’ declared goal.&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt;

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