It was a rare moment of celebration for Palestinians. Palestinian diplomats and officials cheered on Wednesday when their national flag flew for the first time at the UN
headquarters in New York. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas officiated at the ceremony. Standing under the distinctive red, white, green and black banner in the UN headquarters’ flower garden, Abbas said: “The day for raising this flag will come soon in Jerusalem, the
capital of our Palestinian state” and “this day, every year, September 30, will be the day of the Palestinian flag.” The news was received with euphoria in the Arab world and was reported worldwide.
The General Assembly approved a Palestinian resolution this month saying flags of non-member states “shall be raised at UN headquarters in New York and United Nations Offices
following the flags of the member states.” The US and Israel were among eight countries that
voted against the resolution, both saying at the time that symbolic moves like this do nothing to move the peace process forward.
The raising of the flag came after years of hard work for recognition and despite intense opposition from Israel. It will pave the way for more recognition, more involvement in UN affairs and help pile pressure on Israel and the US. These are the positive aspects, but looking at it in view of the current developments in Palestine and the region, and the absolute helplessness of Palestinians in the face of Israeli aggression, it will be unwise to read too much into the Palestinian achievement. It’s more of a symbolic achievement, which can be translated into gains only with more determination and action, through supplementary action.
The current disarray and state of dysfunction in the Arab world and the atrophy of Palestinians show that Israel will continue to bulldoze its way into Palestinian land and take away what remains of their freedom and institutions. The Palestinian issue, which once dominated the discourse in the Arab and Islamic world, has now retreated into the background. Palestinians have been the second largest victims of the turmoil in the region, the first being the people of the affected countries.
The speech of President Mahmoud Abbas was a pointer to the confusion and uncertainty in the Palestinian camp. Before his speech, Abbas promised to drop a “bombshell”. “We declare that we cannot continue to be bound by these agreements, and that Israel must assume all its responsibilities as an occupying power.” Abbas was referring to the Oslo Accords of the mid-1990s. But there were more questions about his bombshell than answers. Will he dissolve the Palestinian Authority, which gives them limited self-rule in the West Bank and Gaza and will he suspend security cooperation with Israel, the two key elements that emerged from the Oslo Accords?
It was a rare moment of celebration for Palestinians. Palestinian diplomats and officials cheered on Wednesday when their national flag flew for the first time at the UN
headquarters in New York. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas officiated at the ceremony. Standing under the distinctive red, white, green and black banner in the UN headquarters’ flower garden, Abbas said: “The day for raising this flag will come soon in Jerusalem, the
capital of our Palestinian state” and “this day, every year, September 30, will be the day of the Palestinian flag.” The news was received with euphoria in the Arab world and was reported worldwide.
The General Assembly approved a Palestinian resolution this month saying flags of non-member states “shall be raised at UN headquarters in New York and United Nations Offices
following the flags of the member states.” The US and Israel were among eight countries that
voted against the resolution, both saying at the time that symbolic moves like this do nothing to move the peace process forward.
The raising of the flag came after years of hard work for recognition and despite intense opposition from Israel. It will pave the way for more recognition, more involvement in UN affairs and help pile pressure on Israel and the US. These are the positive aspects, but looking at it in view of the current developments in Palestine and the region, and the absolute helplessness of Palestinians in the face of Israeli aggression, it will be unwise to read too much into the Palestinian achievement. It’s more of a symbolic achievement, which can be translated into gains only with more determination and action, through supplementary action.
The current disarray and state of dysfunction in the Arab world and the atrophy of Palestinians show that Israel will continue to bulldoze its way into Palestinian land and take away what remains of their freedom and institutions. The Palestinian issue, which once dominated the discourse in the Arab and Islamic world, has now retreated into the background. Palestinians have been the second largest victims of the turmoil in the region, the first being the people of the affected countries.
The speech of President Mahmoud Abbas was a pointer to the confusion and uncertainty in the Palestinian camp. Before his speech, Abbas promised to drop a “bombshell”. “We declare that we cannot continue to be bound by these agreements, and that Israel must assume all its responsibilities as an occupying power.” Abbas was referring to the Oslo Accords of the mid-1990s. But there were more questions about his bombshell than answers. Will he dissolve the Palestinian Authority, which gives them limited self-rule in the West Bank and Gaza and will he suspend security cooperation with Israel, the two key elements that emerged from the Oslo Accords?
