THE MOVE BLOCKED a RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT a STATUS THAT PALESTINIANS HAD LONG SOUGHT AT THE UNITED NATIONS, WHERE IT IS CONSIDERED a “nonmember observer state.”

The United States blocked the U.N. Security Council on Thursday from moving forward on a Palestinian bid to be recognized as a full member state at the United Nations, quashing an effort by Palestinian allies to get the world body to back the effort.

The Palestinian envoy to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, had described the bid for full-member status as an effort “to take our rightful place among the community of nations.”

But Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, on Thursday denounced the resolution that went before the Security Council as a “prize for terror.” He added: “The U.N. is no longer about multilateralism, sadly. It is now committed to multiterrorism.”

The vote was 12 in favor of the resolution and one — the United States — opposed, with two abstentions.

The Security Council has consistently called for a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, a result that has failed to materialize during negotiations between the two sides. In Washington, a spokesman for the State Department, Vedant Patel, said the statehood resolution was dead on arrival.

The United States, along with the four other permanent members of the Council, can veto any action before it. On Thursday afternoon, during a high-profile Council meeting to address issues in the Middle East, including the Palestinian bid for statehood, the United States, a staunch ally of Israel’s, wielded that veto.

The resolution had asked the 15-member Security Council to recommend to the 193-member U.N. General Assembly that “the State of Palestine be admitted to membership of the United Nations,” diplomats say. To pass, the application needed to be approved by the Security Council with at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the United States, Britain, France, Russia or China. Then, at least two-thirds of the General Assembly would have had to approved it.

NETANYAHU TO ALLIES:
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ADVICE! BUT ISRAEL WILL MAKE ITS OWN DECISION ON SECURITY

Following meetings with the British and German foreign ministers, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed at Wednesday’s cabinet meeting that Israel will make its own decisions and do whatever is necessary to protect itself, even if it is contrary to the advice offered by its allies.

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock both arrived in Israel on Wednesday for a flying visit in the wake of Iran’s unprecedented attack on Israel overnight Saturday-Sunday, in which it launched some 350 attack drones and missiles at the country.

Both Germany and the UK have urged Israel to show restraint in the aftermath of the attack, warning that any additional direct hostilities with Iran could send the Middle East spiraling into an all-out war. ISRAEL, however, has vowed to retaliate against Iran, saying that it cannot be allowed to attack without facing repercussions.

Appearing to respectfully reject Baerbock’s and Cameron’s counsel, Netanyahu told the cabinet meeting that the two had “all kinds of suggestions and advice,” and while it was appreciated, Israel would nevertheless “make our own decisions, and the State of Israel will do everything necessary to defend itself.”

Acknowledging Israel’s right to make its own decisions, Cameron told the press in Israel on Wednesday that while it was clear there would be retaliation against Tehran, he hoped that it would be carried out “in a way that is smart as well as tough and also does as little as possible to escalate this conflict.”

Germany’s Baerbock was more vocal in her opposition to Israel’s plan to strike back at Iran, but stressed that nevertheless, her country remains in full solidarity with Israel.

“Iran and its proxies such as Hezbollah or the Houthis must not be allowed to add fuel to the fire,” she said, adding that there would be consequences to the strike, as the European Union was working on imposing further sanctions against Tehran.

Netanyahu’s office said earlier that during his meetings with the German and British foreign ministers, the prime minister “reiterated that Israel would maintain its right to self-defense.”

The two visiting diplomats also met earlier Wednesday with President Isaac Herzog and Foreign Minister Israel Katz, with all the conversations focused on the potential of an Israeli retaliation.

Both Baerbock and Cameron are due to attend a meeting of Group of Seven foreign ministers in Italy on Wednesday afternoon, where among other things, they will discuss imposing new sanctions on Iran.

Reiterating her call for Israel to exercise restraint, Baerbock said that “everyone must now act prudently and responsibly.”

“I’m not talking about giving in. I’m talking about prudent restraint, which is nothing less than strength,” the German minister said. “Because Israel has already shown strength with its defensive victory at the weekend.”

Cameron too, urged Israel to turn its attention back to Gaza, where the war against the Hamas terror organization is in its seventh month.

“The real need is to refocus back on Hamas, back on the hostages, back on getting the aid in, back on getting a pause in the conflict in Gaza,” he told the press.

SAUDI ARABIA SAYS IT HELPED DEFEND ISRAEL AGAINST IRAN

Saudi Arabia acknowledged that it had helped the newly forged regional military coalition — Israel, the United States, Jordan, the United Kingdom, and France — repel an Iranian attack against the Jewish state early Sunday morning, according to a story on KAN News.

The story spoke of the Saudi involvement in the military defensive operation in which 99% of the Iranian drones and missiles were destroyed before hitting their targets. 

Many of the drones and missiles had to travel over Jordanian and Saudi airspace to reach Israel. 

A source connected to the Saudi Royal family told KAN that the country had a system to automatically intercept any suspicious entity in its airspace.

That source also charged that Iran had instigated the Gaza war, through its proxy group Hamas, to thwart US efforts for a Saudi normalization deal.

CLEARLY AND FORCEFULLY!!
ISRAEL WILL RESPOND TO THE IRANIAN ATTACK

After about two days of deliberations and repeated efforts from the US to lower tensions, Israel said it has decided to attack Iran in retaliation of its massive drone strike over the weekend

ISRAEL said it's decided to attack Tehran "CLEARLY and FORCEFULLY," and is preparing multiple warplanes to carry out the strike, according to reports.

The decision comes after two war cabinet meetings in which Israeli leaders huddled to decide how the Jewish nation would respond to the unprecedented strike that consisted of 350 suicide drones and missiles. The plan was widely picked up in local media, according to Israel's Channel 12.

The media outlet said Israel's air force, which is made up of US-made F-16, F-15 and F-35 fighter jets, is reportedly preparing for a counteroffensive against the rogue Islamic State, though no specific date or timeline was provided at this time. The planned retaliatory attack is meant to convey a message that Israel "will not allow an attack of that magnitude against it to pass without a reaction.”

ISRAELI leaders still maintain they are not looking to expand the conflict, despite blatantly ignoring US President Joe Biden who said Washington wouldn't support a counteroffensive. Biden and other allies have implored the Jewish nation to practice restraint, explicitly asking Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to not respond to Iran's attack.

Israeli officials have been quick to promise a response to Saturday's assault, but just as loath to explain just what it would look like.

Israel's military chief Lt. Gen Herzi Halevi doubled down on Israel's decision, promising Iran's aggression "will be met with a response" while also declining to provide any further details or indicate a date or time.

FAILED IRANIAN MISSION
IDF RELEASES FOOTAGE OF FIGHTER JETS DOWNING IRANIAN DRONES, CRUISE MISSILES


The IDF releases footage showing ISRAELI Air Force fighter jets downing some of the 170 drones and 30 cruise missiles fired from Iran at Israel overnight.

All the drones and cruise missiles were downed outside of the country’s airspace by the IAF and its allies, including the United States, United Kingdom, Jordan, France, and others.

ISRAEL THREATENS TO LAUNCH DIRECT ATTACK ON IRAN SHOULD THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC CARRY OUT AN ATTACK AGAINST ISRAEL

Israel's foreign minister today declared his nation's armed forces would launch direct retaliatory strikes on Iran should the Islamic Republic carry out an attack against Israel - the latest step in escalating tensions in the Middle East.

Writing in both his native Hebrew and Farsi, Israel Katz said on X: 'If Iran attacks from its territory, Israel will respond and attack in Iran.'

The blunt and threatening remark came after Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei early this morning reiterated a promise to 'punish an 'evil' Israel following a suspected IDF strike on the Iranian consulate in Syria that killed 12 people, including two top generals, on April 1.

Tehran held Israel responsible for the strike and immediately vowed to exact retribution. 

Khamenei also criticised the West, particularly the US and Britain, for supporting Israel in its war against Hamas in Gaza.

'It was expected they (would) prevent (Israel) in this disaster. They did not. They did not fulfil their duties, the Western governments,' he said.

Israel has not acknowledged its involvement in the strike, but has been bracing for retaliation as it continues to battle Hamas and Hezbollah - both militant groups that are funded and supported by Iran.

Khamenei spoke this morning at a prayer ceremony celebrating the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, saying the airstrike was 'wrongdoing' and akin to an attack on Iranian territory.

'When they attacked our consulate area, it was like they attacked our territory,' Khamenei said, in remarks broadcast by Iranian state TV. 

'The evil regime must be punished, and it will be punished.'

Neither Katz nor the Ayatollah elaborated on the exact form such retaliation would take.

Among 12 killed in the blast on April 1 were seven Iranian Revolutionary Guard members, four Syrians and a Hezbollah militia member.

One of the slain generals, Mohammad Reza Zahedi, had held a succession of commands in the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps' foreign operations arm, the Quds Force, over a career spanning more than four decades

His deputy, General Mohammad Hadi Hajriahimi, was also killed. 

The day after the attack, Khamenei, who attended the funeral ceremonies of the Iranian victims last week, declared: 'The evil Zionist regime will be punished at the hands of our brave men.

'We will make them regret this crime and the other ones.'

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that Iran has been acting against Israel for years, and defended any operations launched by Tel-Aviv against Tehran.

'For years Iran has been working against us directly and through its proxies, and therefore Israel is working against Iran and its proxies, both defensively and offensively,' Netanyahu said at the start of a cabinet meeting.

'We will know how to defend ourselves and we will act according to the simple principle that whoever hurts us or plans to hurt us, we will hurt them,' he said.

samonak:

What would you do, if somebody claims to be the owner of your land and that "God" promised the land to him, he kills your people and placed them under occupation for over 70 years! Seize their lands and places restriction on their movement, the can't go out or come in without permission from the occupiers? I guess according to the good book, you will turn the other cheek or forgive them right?

thinkmoney:

You are olodo. U do not know the meaning of genocide. U are a fanatic... u stink man. Your write up pains God in bad light