The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu,
praised President Goodluck Jonathan
Wednesday, after Nigeria pulled a last-minute
surprise that helped thwart a resolution calling
for an end to Israeli occupation of Palestinian
territory by 2017.
The resolution, presented to the United Nations
for approval, called for new talks based on
territorial lines that existed before Israel’s
occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem
and the Gaza Strip in 1967.
The proposal was the culmination of three
months of campaigning by the Palestinians at
the UN, and was backed by 22 envoys from
Arab states.
The Palestinians required nine votes from 15
permanent and non-permanent members of the
UN Security Council.
Nigeria is currently one the 10 non-permanent
members, with its tenure expiring in 2015. Chad
and Rwanda are the other African members.
But Palestine received eight votes, short of one,
during the vote which took place 11pm
Nigerian time.
The United States and Australia voted against
the resolution, while Russia, China, France,
Luxembourg, Jordan, Argentina, Chile and Chad
voted for the resolution.
Nigeria, Britain, South Korea, Rwanda and
Lithuania abstained.
Nigeria’s role stood out because until shortly
before the vote, diplomats had expected the
resolution to get nine “yes” votes, with Nigeria
believed to be in support.
But at the last minute, Nigeria’s envoy, Joy
Ogwu, abstained from voting, echoing the
position of the United States that the ultimate
path to peace between Israel and Palestine lies
“in a negotiated solution”.
Regardless of whether Palestine received nine
votes, the resolution still stood no chance as
U.S. would have deployed its veto powers as a
permanent member to block it.
But analysts believe the U.S. sought to avoid
that scenario as it would have angered Arab
allies who are currently supporting a US-led
international coalition against the Islamic State
in Iraq and Syria, ISIS.
To save the U.S. from that awkward position,
its Secretary of States, John Kerry, reached out
to Nigeria to help block the move, the Times of
Israel reported.
After the vote, U.S. envoy, Samantha Power,
said “We voted against this resolution not
because we are comfortable with the status
quo. We voted against it because… peace must
come from hard compromises that occur at the
negotiating table.”
The Prime Minister, Mr. Netanyahu, also said
he personally spoke to President Jonathan and
received his assurance of support.
“I would like to voice appreciation and thanks
to the United States and Australia, and also
special appreciation for the president of
Rwanda, my friend Paul Kagame, and the
president of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan. I
spoke with both of them. They told me and
promised me, personally, that they would not
support this resolution. They kept their word,
and that’s what clinched this matter. I think
this is very important for the state of Israel,”
Mr. Netanyahu said.
Some Israeli media hailed the cordial relations
between Mr. Jonathan and Mr. Netanyauhu,
with the Times of Israel recalling how President
Jonathan visited Israel during his last
pilgrimage with a 20-member delegation, and
how Mr. Netanyahu condoled with Nigeria after
the Kano Mosque blast that killed more than
100 people.
Nigeria’s position on the complex Israel and
Palestine issue has been that of neutrality for
years, in the belief that any decision must be
attained through negotiations.
Nigeria has maintained that policy in what
analysts believe is informed by the
government’s sensitivity to many factors
including, not wanting to be seen as supporting
Palestine’s Hamas, or opposing the United
States.
A major factor also is the religious angle back
home, with many Nigerian Muslims supporting
Palestine, while there is also the Christianity
affiliation between Nigeria and Israel.