Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should not forget his country was created as a result of a resolution adopted by the United Nations, French President Emmanuel Macron told cabinet on Tuesday, urging Israel to abide by UN decisions.“Mr Netanyahu must not forget that his country was created by a decision of the UN,” Macron told the weekly French cabinet meeting, referring to the resolution adopted in November 1947 by the United Nations General Assembly on the plan to partition Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state.“Therefore this is not the time to disregard the decisions of the UN,” he added, as Israel wages a ground offensive against the Iran-backed Shiite militant group Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, where the UN peacekeepers are deployed.
First of all, the statement is false. The UN did not create Israel, and the UN partition resolution was never implemented.
Jews created Israel. Jews who worked tirelessly since the 19th century, buying land, building cities, draining swamps, building a government, all while defending themselves. When Israel declared its independence in 1948 it was despite UN and US) desires, not because of them.
But there is a more insidious part of this friendly reminder, perfectly articulated by Arab Israeli diplomat George Deek:
As I hear a world leader reminding Israel that it “was created by a UN decision,” it’s a perfect moment to address why European elites seem particularly vexed by Israel’s independence— and why they expect obedience.For those European elites, the right of self-determination of the French, Palestinians, or Chinese, is framed as a matter of justice: an inherent, unconditional right of a people to their land. But when it comes to the Jews, the narrative shifts. Their right to self-determination is not viewed as intrinsic, but as an act of European compassion—granted out of guilt for the Holocaust. In this view, Israel exists not because of a millennia-old connection to the land, or because of global rejection or because of Zionist activity, but because Europe, burdened by its conscience, graciously allowed the Jews a state through the UN.This paternalist narrative strips Jews of their agency and their deep historical ties to Israel. But much worse, it turns their right to a homeland into something conditional—a “gift” from Europe. And like any gift, it can be revoked if the recipient misbehaves.And this is where the obsession with Israel kicks in. If Europe believes it bestowed Israel’s right to exist, then it assumes the authority to judge Israel’s conduct. The Jews, unlike other nations, are expected to earn their right to sovereignty daily by conforming to the standards set by their “benefactors.” Fail to do so, and the right that was “given” can be questioned—or withdrawn.
This is exactly right. For all other peoples, self-determination is an eternal right - for Jews, it is only temporarily allowed against the world's better judgment.
And that's the thing. The world doesn't really think the Jews are a people, or that they have any connection to the Land of Israel, or that they have the right to defend themselves. They'll pretend that those things are true, but when it comes down to it, they don't act like they believe it.
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