Censured, isolated

It may be too much to hope that Israel will realise that the margin of the UN vote — 138 to 9 — enhancing Palestine’s status reflects the world view on how badly they have behaved towards the displaced people trapped in their sphere of control.

Naturally Benjamin Netanyahu’s government remains defiant despite this censure. Blinkered intransigence has unfortunately been the hallmark of Israeli policy for far too long. That Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev compared the UN general assembly to a “theatre of the absurd” does not augur well for the prospects of a peaceful resolution to the situation either.

It is unfortunate too that no matter how many times it is acknowledged that the unrelenting terrorist attacks on Israel are utterly wrong Israel responds with the kind of disproportionate violence that ensures their continuation.

Sooner or later, unless the Palestinians are wiped out, these issues will have to be resolved by negotiation. America is uniquely placed to influence these events. It is time for President Obama to be more forceful and tell Israel that its diplomats, not its soldiers, must resolve this crisis.