Israel, Palestine, and the United Nations

The news story looked even more bizarre than the one in 2010 which announced that (then-prime minister) President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an had won the Al-Gaddafi International Prize for Human Rights. 

Turkey has welcomed the United Nations' approval for the raising of the Palestinian flag at the U.N. headquarters, maintaining that such a step will help realize the Palestinian people's dream of living freely in their sovereign state.

The United Nations is expected on Sept.10 to allow the Palestinians to raise their flag at its headquarters in New York in a symbolic move highlighting Palestinian aspirations for statehood.

Israel complained to the United Nations on Sept. 1 about a Palestinian initiative to fly their flag alongside those of full member states at the world body's headquarters, calling it "another cynical misuse of the U.N. by the Palestinian Authority."

Israel's representative was conspicuously missing when the UN Human Rights Council started a special session March 23 on the situation in Palestine and the 2014 Gaza conflict.
      

Israel is lobbying member-states of the International Criminal Court to cut funding for the tribunal in response to its launch of an inquiry into possible war crimes in the Palestinian territories, officials said on Jan. 18.
   

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has launched an inquiry into possible war crimes in the Palestinian territories, opening a path to possible charges against Israelis or Palestinians. 

U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon has accepted the request by Palestine to join the International Criminal Court, a move that would open the way for war crimes complaints against Israel.

The decision grants the Hague-based ICC jurisdiction to open cases starting April 1 on serious crimes committed in the Palestinian territories, despite fierce opposition from Israel and the United States.

A Palestinian bid to secure a U.N. resolution setting an end date for the occupation failed to pass a Security Council vote in a move Israel hailed Dec. 31 as a victory.

China, France and Russia were among the eight countries that voted in favour of the text, but the resolution fell short of winning the nine "yes" votes necessary for adoption within the 15-member council.        

British lawmakers were to hold a non-binding vote Monday on recognising Palestine although government ministers will abstain in a sign of how politically sensitive the issue is.