Democracy Gone Astray

Democracy, being a human construct, needs to be thought of as directionality rather than an object. As such, to understand it requires not so much a description of existing structures and/or other related phenomena but a declaration of intentionality.
This blog aims at creating labeled lists of published infringements of such intentionality, of points in time where democracy strays from its intended directionality. In addition to outright infringements, this blog also collects important contemporary information and/or discussions that impact our socio-political landscape.

All the posts here were published in the electronic media – main-stream as well as fringe, and maintain links to the original texts.

[NOTE: Due to changes I haven't caught on time in the blogging software, all of the 'Original Article' links were nullified between September 11, 2012 and December 11, 2012. My apologies.]

Friday, November 30, 2012

Canada recalls diplomats from Israel, West Bank and UN over Palestinian vote

OTTAWA—Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird is temporarily recalling senior diplomats from Israel, the West Bank and the UN missions in New York and Geneva.

He says he wants to get their views on the implications of the UN General Assembly vote which recognized the Palestinians as a non-member observer state at the world body.

“Canada is deeply disappointed but not surprised by yesterday’s result at the United Nations General Assembly,” he said in a statement Friday.

“Our government’s position is clear: the only way to achieve a just and lasting peace is through negotiations, not unilateral actions.”

“To that end, Canada is bringing its heads of missions in Israel and Ramallah and its permanent representatives to the UN in New York and Geneva back to Ottawa temporarily to assess the implications of yesterday’s UN General Assembly vote and inform Canada’s response to it.”

In a televised interview with the CBC, Baird said he wants to talk to the diplomats who are closest to the situation.

“I want to get a sense of where we go from here,” he said.

The minister said in his statement that Canada will review its whole relationship with the Palestinian Authority.

He added he is deeply disappointed by the UN vote, and that the only way to peace in the Middle East is through negotiations, not what he called “unilateral actions.”

The General Assembly decision is an “impediment to peace,” Baird said.

Canada was among a tiny minority of countries opposing the resolution as the Palestinians easily won recognition Thursday. The resolution to upgrade their status was approved by a vote of 138-9, with 41 abstentions.

Original Article
Source: the star
Author: CP

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