Originally posted by Womble
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Something remarkably ugly happened in the UN General Assembly recently that illustrated to what degree the game is rigged.
The USA introduced a resolution to condemn the Hamas terrorist group for a long and consistent record of targeting Israeli civilians. Because condemning a gang of murderers without reservation is usually too much to ask at that particular venue, the draft resolution was softened and "balanced" in various ways including inserting completely unrelated bacon about "tangible steps towards intra-Palestinian reconciliation", "concrete steps to reunite the Gaza Strip and the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority" and "calling on all parties to fully respect international humanitarian law" - all in order to bring on board the EU block and various other players for whom death or threat to life of Israeli civilians is not in and of itself a bad thing.
The Hamas backers (specifically Kuwait) responded by triggering one of the UNGA game-rigging mechanisms - a resolution can be pre-classified before vote as an "important question", in which case a simple majority of votes no longer suffices and a two-thirds majority is required. In order to classify something as an "important question", a simple majority vote is held. After a vote of 75 in favor, 72 against, 26 abstained - by 3 votes, basically - condemnation of Hamas became an "important question".
The resolution itself gathered 87 votes in favor, 57 against, with 33 abstentions. As it didn't gain a two-third majority, it failed. The Hamas is now prancing around boasting of the vote as a kind of confirmation of its legitimacy.
Immediately after that, a fresh recycling of a standard cliche-ridden resolution to condemn the "Israeli occupation" for the umpteenth time passed with 156 votes in favor and 5 against.
The USA introduced a resolution to condemn the Hamas terrorist group for a long and consistent record of targeting Israeli civilians. Because condemning a gang of murderers without reservation is usually too much to ask at that particular venue, the draft resolution was softened and "balanced" in various ways including inserting completely unrelated bacon about "tangible steps towards intra-Palestinian reconciliation", "concrete steps to reunite the Gaza Strip and the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority" and "calling on all parties to fully respect international humanitarian law" - all in order to bring on board the EU block and various other players for whom death or threat to life of Israeli civilians is not in and of itself a bad thing.
The Hamas backers (specifically Kuwait) responded by triggering one of the UNGA game-rigging mechanisms - a resolution can be pre-classified before vote as an "important question", in which case a simple majority of votes no longer suffices and a two-thirds majority is required. In order to classify something as an "important question", a simple majority vote is held. After a vote of 75 in favor, 72 against, 26 abstained - by 3 votes, basically - condemnation of Hamas became an "important question".
The resolution itself gathered 87 votes in favor, 57 against, with 33 abstentions. As it didn't gain a two-third majority, it failed. The Hamas is now prancing around boasting of the vote as a kind of confirmation of its legitimacy.
Immediately after that, a fresh recycling of a standard cliche-ridden resolution to condemn the "Israeli occupation" for the umpteenth time passed with 156 votes in favor and 5 against.
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