The Palestinian draft resolution submitted to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Monday, calling for Israel to withdraw from “Palestinian territory” and creating a Palestinian state, has failed.  Resolutions need 9 votes from the 15-member council in order to pass.  While 8 countries (China, France, Argentina, Chile, Chad, Jordan, Russia and Luxembourg) voted in favor of the resolution, 5 (UK, Lithuania, Nigeria, Rwanda and Korea) abstained, and the US and Australia opposed the resolution.  The UNSC vote was held late this afternoon at UN headquarters in New York City.

Canada, which does not hold a seat on the Security Council, has arisen as perhaps the staunchest defender of Israel’s rights to exist and defend herself. Last Thursday, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird stated that “Canada fundamentally believes that Palestinian statehood can only be a by-product of negotiations with the State of Israel. We have long rejected unilateral action on either side, as we believe it is ultimately unhelpful to the cause of peace…. The resolution that was submitted to the United Nations Security Council on December 29 is just another attempt to circumvent negotiations and place preconditions on future discussions. Canada therefore calls upon members of the UN Security Council to reject this resolution and instead use its influence to urge both sides to sit down without preconditions.”

Peace talks with the goal of establishing a “two-state solution” have failed for years, thus Palestinians have attempted to push the issue of statehood through the UNSC.  The two-state solution is based on the proposition of Israel ceding land to the Palestinians, based on the 1967 borders.  That would give Palestinians all of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.  Problem is: those were never borders, they were simply armistice lines prior to 1967 when Palestinians chose war rather than peace talks.  Israel soundly defeated Arab enemies and took control of the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, the Golan Heights, the Sinai Peninsula, and Temple Mount.  According to international rules of war, all conquered land belonged to Israel.

However, as is fairly typical, Israel chose to give up land in return for peace (which never seems to come).  Thus, they gave Sinai back to Egypt, and allowed the Palestinians to occupy the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

But here is the fact: Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005, leaving it to Palestinian occupation and, on multiple occasions, has offered to withdraw from virtually all of the West Bank in exchange for Palestinian acknowledgement of the nation of Israel.  The Jewish state simply wants the right to exist, while Palestinians want to push them into the sea.

Israel’s ability to defend herself is also in jeopardy if Palestinians get their way.  The following 6-minute video is the best I know of to describe the challenges facing Israel with regard to Palestinian demands.

So, today’s UN decision was historic in terms of ensuring Israel’s security from an earthly perspective.  However, rest assured…God promised to bring Israel back into her land (Jeremiah 12:15, Jeremiah 23:8, Jeremiah 30:3, Jeremiah 32:37, Ezekiel 39:25-29), and He has done so!  He also promises to defend her.  Though the news is good, we must understand that there will come a day when only the Lord can defend Israel.  And that He will!