Today, Kofi Annan has made his final speech as UN secretary general, calling on the US not to lose sight of its core principles in its fight on terror.
"No nation can make itself secure by seeking supremacy over others," Mr Annan said, urging the US to respect human rights in its "war on terror". Click here to read more...
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3 comments:
Abu-Issa,
Yesterday's Ha'aretz (http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/800129.html) reported that
In his final address to the Security Council, Annan said, "The two-state solution - Israel and Palestine - must respect the rights of the Palestinian refugees, but only within the context of preserving the character of states in the region."
On the basis of which they claim that he does not support the refugees’ right of return to homes within ‘Israel proper’ in accordance with GA resolution 194.
Clearly this was not the Truman Library speech (http://www.un.org/News/ossg/sg/stories/statments_full.asp?statID=40), or this report to the Security Council (http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N06/651/88/PDF/N0665188.pdf?OpenElement).
Do you know where he said that, if at all?
Thanks,
Ernie
http://bureauofcounterpropaganda.blogspot.com/
Hi Ernie,
I saw that article and I think their 'hint' decoder is broken.
I would interpret him as saying that the character of the region is obviously 'Arab'. That Israel has to preserve it's 'Arab' character.
Since the 'birth' of the Jewish State in Palestine it has tried to deny, even erase it's 'Arabness'...not just through the ethnic cleansing of the people off the land and the destruction of some 450 'Arab' villages but directly through the Israeli education system.
I continue to call for the reorganization of the region into ONE state for all people. Israel recognizing and embracing it's 'Arab-ness' would be a step in the right direction.
Make the Holy Land 'Whole' Again!
Abu-Issa
Abu-Issa,
If the Ha'aretz quote is accurate,
The two-state solution - Israel and Palestine - must respect the rights of the Palestinian refugees, but only within the context of preserving the character of states in the region.
then I think their hint decoder is working fine. Bear in mind that as SG of the UN, Annan MUST support the two state solution - the UN is a member of the 'Quartet', of Road map fame.
Now that he's gone, maybe he'll change his tune, but I'm not expecting it.
The point is that nothing worded like that appears on the UN website either in the SG area or the SC area, so I'm not sure he actually said it at all.
All principled antiracists reject the two state 'solution', if for no other reason, it preserves the racist apartheid Jewish ethnocratic state. But I wouldn't advise you to hold your breath waiting for the reunification of Palestine. I think this is only likely to happen in the context of the unification of the entire Middle East, if not the planet. Meanwhile, we have a lot of work to do.
In solidarity,
Ernie
http://bureauofcounterpropaganda.blogspot.com/
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