Response:Palestinian Attempt to Raise Flag at UNHQ
Prosor: “Once again the Palestinians prefer to score easy and meaningless
points at the UN, simply because they can. They don’t hesitate to manipulate
the UN system, this time by exploiting the Holy See."
09.01.2015
http://embassies.gov.il/un/statements/letters/Pages/-First-Israeli-Response-to-the-Palestinian-Attempt-to-Raise-Their-Flag-at-the-UN-Headquarters.aspx

A First Israeli Response to the Palestinian Attempt to Raise Their Flag at
the UN Headquarters:
Ambassador Prosor to the UNSG and to the PGA:

“Once again the Palestinians prefer to score easy and meaningless points at
the UN, simply because they can. They don’t hesitate to manipulate the UN
system, this time by exploiting the Holy See.

Allowing the undermining of the credibility of these symbols today,
symbolizes the surrender of this institution to an intimidating and cynical
political agenda tomorrow".

Israel’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Ron Prosor, told the
UN Secretary General and the President of the General Assembly: “Once again
the Palestinians prefer to score easy and meaningless points at the UN,
simply because they can. Rather than choosing to negotiate in good faith
while making the required compromises, they prefer hollow one-sided
resolutions. For 70 years the United Nations has raised only flags of full
member states. I find it difficult to understand why, after 70 years, there
is such an urgency to change longstanding practices.

The United Nations has longstanding traditions, symbols and protocols that
have become an essential and integral part of its legacy.“

The Full Letter:

​His Excellency,

In recent days, we have witnessed another cynical misuse of the UN by the
Palestinian Authority, whereby they are attempting to swiftly change
longstanding UN tradition in order to score political points. To achieve
this goal, they did not hesitate to manipulate the system and provide member
states with inaccurate and misleading facts.

Last week, the Palestinians surprised the UN Member States with their new
unprecedented idea to raise their flag at the UN Headquarter. For 70 years
the United Nations has raised only flags of full member states. Even though
the Palestinians are attempting to change longstanding protocols and
traditions, they have not deemed it appropriate to allow the Member States
of this organization to debate, discuss or reflect on the consequences and
implications of this proposal. Not even one round of informal consultations
was held before the resolution was formally submitted to the secretariat.

I find it difficult to understand why, after 70 years, there is such an
urgency to change longstanding practices. And yet, the PGA and the
secretariat have been called on to treat the resolution as if lives were
hanging in the balance. With enough votes in their pockets, the Palestinians
lack of respect for due process is brazen and directly damages the integrity
of the institution.

In conversations with many other members of the UN, they shared the same
concerns regarding this blatant attempt to hijack the UN.

As part of their campaign to garner support for this initiative, the
Palestinians have presented the draft resolution in the UN corridors as a
joint initiative with the Holy See. I was thus astonished to learn from the
media that not only is the Vatican not part of this initiative, in fact they
are not even co-sponsoring it and do not have any aspirations to raise their
flag. The Holy See has made it clear that it stands by the long held
practice of raising only the flags of member states at UN Headquarters.
Unsurprisingly, this revelation did not deter the Palestinians. When they
realized that their plot was uncovered, they have- together with the Arab
group- exercised strong pressure on the Holy See to change their public
position.

Following this pressure, which was exercised at the highest levels, the Holy
See indeed published another statement. However, the Vatican held firm to
its principled position stating again that the reason it does not oppose the
Palestinian resolution, is because procedurally, it simply cannot oppose it.
In a very diplomatic manner, they remind us all of the very longstanding
practice that only flags of Member States are raised at UN Headquarters.

Once again the Palestinians prefer to score easy and meaningless points at
the UN, simply because they can. Rather than choosing to negotiate in good
faith while making the required compromises, they prefer hollow one-sided
resolutions. It's time to unequivocally tell them - this is not the path to
statehood, this is not the way for peace.

As the gatekeeper of this institution, I call on you to reject this
aggressive behavior at the UN. The United Nations has longstanding
traditions, symbols and protocols that have become an essential and integral
part of its legacy. We must not allow them to be turned into mere
recommendations, and we cannot surrender to the arbitrary changes that are
imposed solely for narrow, cynical and political purposes of certain groups.

Allowing the undermining of the credibility of these symbols today,
symbolizes the surrender of this institution to an intimidating and cynical
political agenda tomorrow.