Gabriel Helou

“The UN has named 2014 as the ‘Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.’ The resolution was adopted by the majority of member-states with 110 voting in favor, 7 opposed and 54 abstaining. The year-long observance will entail organizing special events in cooperation with   “governments, relevant organizations of the United Nations system, intergovernmental organizations and civil society .”

“In the past few weeks the House Republicans introduced   legislation to increase aid to Israel by half a billion dollars. Israel is the top foreign recipient of U.S. aid.  This increase is on top of the $3.1 billion already provided to a country smaller than Rhode Island .  Economists estimate that if the U.S. cut off aid to Israel, their economy would crash.  Israel is a welfare nation.  I ask, where is the personal responsibility of the Israelis, and how does their addiction to welfare fit into the Republican plan of "self reliance?"  This past month the House Republicans cut food stamps by $400 million, and this during a time when our economy is very weak.  Over $100 million in food stamps was spent on U.S. military installations last year alone, because our military are paid starvation wages and qualify for food stamps.  So, the Republican House cut funding for food stamps, but increased funding for Israel.  At the same time, Israel u...

Today marks the 46 th anniversary of the adoption by the UN Security Council of Resolution 242 (1967). Security Council Resolution 242 contains some points worth review. Therefore, the main objective of the following is to shed light on these points, as a reminder. Monday, 5 June 1967, was another turning point in the history of Palestine, in the wake of the Six Day War between, on the one hand, Egypt, Syria and Jordan, and Israel on the other. On June 6 th , the Security Council, discharging its responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security [1] , unanimously adopted Resolution 233 (1967) [2] calling for an immediate cease-fire and a cessation of all military activities. Nevertheless, the hostilities continued. In these circumstances, the Security Council called for the same in Resolution 234 (1967) [3] , Resolution 235 (1967) [4] and Resolution 236 (1967) [5] . These three Resolutions were unanimously passed, but the belligerent parties d...

The Palestinian Rights Committee calls on   the UN General Assembly to proclaim 2014 “International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People ”.

“The Palestinians voted for the first time at the UN General Assembly Monday and claimed the moment as a new step in its quest for full recognition by the global body. Most of the 193 members of the General Assembly stood in applause when Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour cast a vote for a judge on the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. The Palestinians became observer members of the United Nations on November 29 last year. It cannot vote on UN resolutions, but under UN rules, it and other observers such as the Vatican can vote in elections for judges on international courts. “This is an important step in our march for freedom and independence and full membership of the United Nations,” Mansour told the assembly .”

“ The concept of ‘international community’ and the International Court of Justice Despite its constant invocation in doctrine, rhetoric and countless international documents, international lawyers still struggle with arriving at a well-defined understanding of the concept of an ‘international community’, whether in identifying the members that compose it, the values and norms that it represents, or the processes which underlie its functioning. The term could be reduced merely to ‘constructive abstraction’, or rhetorical flourish; yet a concept of international community that would be legally operative (create enforceable legal rights and obligations) would require reflection as to the nature of international law and whether it serves the interests of a constituted community .”

The status of the Palestinian General Delegation in Brussels - accredited to Belgium, Luxembourg and the European Union - was upgraded today to the level of “Mission of Palestine”. The Head of Mission now carries the title of “ Ambassador ”.