As Rabbi Daniel Treiser writes: "To paraphrase "The Matrix," "History, it seems, is not without a sense of irony." On November 29th, 1947, the United Nations voted 33 for 13 against (all the Arab nations plus Cuba, Greece and India) to partition Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state. The Arab nations rejected the resolution, and chose instead to attack the nascent State of Israel the day the British Mandate came to an end. Had they accepted the vote, there would have been an internationally recognized Arab state of Palestine. Instead, they chose decades of war and suffering for the population and for the Jews in Israel as well. Now, 65 years later TO THE DAY, the Palestinians come to the UN for a vote seeking 'non-member state' status, rather than come to the negotiating table with Israel. What will this mean? Symbolic victory for the PA. More international bashing of Israel. Perhaps a bump in Abbas' declining popularity. But otherwise? Who knows."
