There’s no denying it. When the results were locked in at the UN General Assembly this past Thursday, showing an overwhelming majority of members voting in favor of the draft resolution that would upgrade Palestine’s status, we were all ecstatic. For years, the PLO had enjoyed an observer status at the UN but without the esteemed label of “state.” Today, “Palestine” will be on the tables before its representatives and this state’s borders will be understood hereafter as all land – including east Jerusalem – occupied by Israel in the 1967 war. We all know this does not change anything on the ground. If anything, it could just make it worse for Palestinians living under the brunt of Israel’s military operation. Signs to this effect are already surfacing. Israel has pledged to withhold this month’s tax returns collected on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, thus pushing the PA’s into even deeper financial dire straits. More importantly, in direct response to the new resolution, Israel announced the construction of some 3,000 new housing units in West Bank and east Jerusalem settlements, namely in the so-called E1 area between the settlement of Maaleh Adumim and the West Bank. But still, a symbolic achievement like this is still an achievement. Plus, there are perks to the title – namely, access to the International Criminal Court in The Hague at which only states can try war criminals. The fact that this may be the only aspect of the vote Israel truly fears and that its allies such as Britain and Germany tried their hardest to get the Palestinians to promise not to go The Hague, is evidence that things may just be looking up for us. But beyond the euphoria of our “new state”, there is much to be done. Our leaders realize this too. President Abbas and the de facto government in Gaza are both seemingly serious about reconciliation efforts. They are finally speaking to each other, even visiting each other and not clawing at each other’s necks. No doubt the recent war on Gaza played a major role in the two rivals setting their differences aside. Like the old Arabic saying goes: “Me and my brother against my cousin but me and my cousin against a stranger.” Israel’s attack brought us strangely, albeit tragically, together. Right now, this is the most pressing task before us. Israel, if possible, is going to grow fiercer now that it realizes we too can flex our muscles. Everyone knows the old adage of “a house divided..” So, once that is done we can move on to “frying bigger fish,” namely taking Israel to the ICC and trying them for war crimes. Settlements illegally built in occupied Palestine are just one. The Palestinians deserve this victory, even if it is largely symbolic. It was enough to see the General Assembly hall burst into applause when President Abbas spoke while the sound of very few claps were heard when Israel’s ambassador Ron Proser stood up to address the forum after him. The overwhelming majority of the world’s nations showed that they stand with justice. France’s vote in favor of the resolution was a victory in and of itself; even Germany and the UK’s abstentions were more than we had hoped for at the beginning. Israel certainly was irked by their ally’s lack of blind loyalty, something which they can always count on from the United States, Canada and of course, Micronesia. But now it is our turn to make this into a real victory. Achieving unity is of course the number one priority on the leadership’s “To Do” list. After that, the real battle will begin. But since we now know that 138 UN member states stand by us and 41 just may be swayed to our side with a little persuasion, we are that much stronger in the battle before us. Palestine – at least 22 percent of it – is back on the map. True, it is occupied, besieged and beleaguered, but today it is one step closer to liberation. Joharah Baker is a Writer for the Media and Information Department at the Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy (MIFTAH). She can be contacted at mid@miftah.org.
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