Until this morning, Germany together with the USA, Canada,
Guatemala and let’s not forget Micronesia were the only countries that were
about to vote against the Palestinian bid to become a non-member-observer-state
at the UN. Now it seems that Germany has decided to abstain.
Senior Israeli government spokesmen – in various tones of
brutality - have warned that if Abbas would go to the UN it would be the end of
the Palestinian Authority. But then, the Israeli government has been doing its
utmost to dismantle the Palestinian Authority anyway. The way the vote is
going, Israel is being shown what the world thinks of its conduct and its
policies. It is sadly fast becoming a pariah state.
It must have been a hard decision for Mrs. Merkel. Supporting
Israeli governments has been one of the means by which German governments have
attempted to make reparation by supporting the Jewish people after the Holocaust.
Yet, had Germany voted against the Palestinian bid, it would have done so
against German public sentiment. Israeli policy vis-à-vis the Palestinians, its
arrogant obstinacy and its deteriorating moral values have become too much even
for Germany. Germans are becoming more and more anti-Israel.
Not only Germany, Israel too - instead of opposing - should
vote for the Palestinian bid.
