This makes no rationale sense in that Israel & our USA scream that this is meaningless and worthless, ie, not leading to a Palestinian State publicly supported by both, while threatening various severe punishments. Seems the main concern is criminal charges against Israel at the International Court. Our USA & Israel are both members, and presumably have not committed criminal acts ... why the rabid fear?!?? Let's legally defend our behaviours in a widely accepted court forum with our sound legal arguments, eh?

Israel's crimes against the Palestinian people are serious and must be addressed at the first instance. Abbas will be foolish by delaying the procedures necessary to bring Israel to heal. He must act immediately.

Perhaps in violation of several human rights, Israel is SCARED... Thus, drags US with it...

Israel threatened no "punishments" and denied it would penalize the PA. That's the latest. Perhaps you are feeling terror and fear that the PA bid will derail itself and come to nothing on the ground. By the way, why do you use British spellings if you are from New Jersey, and who is "we", "Jersey Jew"? ;-))

I have seen Ashrawi debate on TV in front of a mixed Moslem, Jewish, & Chritian audience. When she didn't like the way the debate was going, when she couldn't answer point for point the issues brought up by the other side, she started chanting and getting all of the Moslem audience to chant in order to shout down the person she was debating. This is her method so that she doesn't have to listen to the other side. Now with the so-called "Palestinians"Going to the UN, they are hoping to achieve the same purpose: namely, to shout down Israel with an International chorus, so they don't have to listen. As much as I don't like Lieberman, I'm afraid that he is correct in saying that it will make a possibility for dialogue worse not better.

When Israel declared independence, Arabs within Israel and in the neighboring states immediately took up arms with the goal of eliminating the state. While Israel could do that, my prediction is that it will not, even though the Israeli government and most Israeli Jews view the Palestinians' announcement with hostility. If you understand the difference between these responses then you get the whole conflict.

Israel's response should be: "Dalal Mughrabi square." Case closed.

60Y of pussyfooting around with US and Israel has come to this. Threats, Blackmail and reduced status as a non-member state and still they want more concessions from the Palestinians. The Palestinians should tell Britain and the US to go take a hike they are as useless as tits on a bull.

wake up people and remember, what about: - Annapolis? - the Roadmap? - Oslo? - the Quartet? All ploys to exhaust Israel into giving up, and that is exactly what's happening under weak-kneed women Bibi and Barak.

Now is the time to stop being the patsy for "Palestinian" terrorists and bring down the hammer. No more aid. No more taxes. No more nothing. The only reason to pay "Palestinians" is to leave our land forever.

that we must have extremely strong leaders not subservient to the world. We should have annexed all the territories long time ago. Let every nation know that their embassy would be in Israel's eternal capital - Jerusalem. If they refuse, we need NOT to have their ambassador in Israel. As long as these steps are not taken, Israel will continue to have setbacks and be perceived as weak. Most importantly, all of God's commandmends must be observed throughout Israel at once.

One could only wish that prior to Palestinian status being changed by the UN, that the Palestinians be required to recognize the State of Israel's right to exist. This continuing refusal does no one any good. TransJordan was a British Nation-State construct-when the Jordanian Bedouin under the Hashemite Abdullah took my Family's home and Land in Jerusalem, we refugeed to the Israeli sector. Pretending that TransJordan doesn't exist, and has no right to would be arrantly silly. The same for the failure of the Palestinian Leadership, and their failure to recognize that Israel has a right to exist. Arrantly silly.

It appears they could care less if they lose monetary support from both Israel and the US. Instead of sanctioning Iran, perhaps the US and Israel should cut off funding for the Pal's. Why allow them to double dip from both Iran and us? Make Iran responsible for their support now and see how long it takes for demonstrations to start in Tehran. The PA are upping their game, why can't we?

This bid is in reality is about which faction is dominant and leads the Palestinians. Its about forcing through International recognition rather than Peace making. The respective constituencies are now wider apart than they have been an trust between the parties is less. Not a good springboard for a negotiated peace settlement bearing in mind that no substantive talks have been held for 4 years. This is a false dawn which will raise false expectations and dissatisfaction on all sides.

will presumably be busy with claims filed against Hamas - if recognized - for crimes against humanity.

They excel at creating tragedies only to play victim

We should take back Area B in response. That would tighten the noose even more than annexing Area A- where I live. Then we can annex parts of each every time they do something else like this. And in terms of annexing parts of Area B, it doesn't have to be the villages. It can be the vast areas of open land between them.

All the bid does is maybe give some incentive to some future PM to negotiate land swaps in good faith. Abbas knows nothing can or would happen with Netanyahu - he opposed statehood his entire life. Abbas also knows that Netanyahu stonewalling is strengthening less moderate forces and giving inroads to more militant elements..

The only positive result of the UN vote will be to demarcate Israel's friends and foes.

It is very interesting to see how things develop but in any case Israelis should not worry too much because God will carry out His Word anyway. The whole world will be ashamed finally because they are not fighting against Israel but the Living God of Israel! And who can win against the God.

and that's the only place that really counts.

If Palestinians reduced their demands in the RIGHT OF RETURN and EAST JERUSALEM IS A CAPITAL, they probably would have got their land a long while ago. Asking for all or getting nothing wont get them anything and they inherit the unsolved problem to their children.

Torah guides that they will be thorns to you but secular leaders don't ever listen. And it's coming to a head, I mean bhead with the nations foaming to rid holyland from Jewis and Jews from holyland.

1. The ICC can only try individuals, not states. 2. Israel is not a signatory to the ICC. You were saying?

THe Hamas and PLO essentially one family. Statehood is just another step to remove Jewish presence from middle east. Did PLO ever renounce their charter on recognizing Israel? Two state solution is just one more step without even firing one shot to achieving the real arab goal. Blindness. Blindness. Blindness.

the apaisement behaviour of Israel + their getto mentality of what the 'neighbours will say, have brought us to this moment. Don't blame the world, they do only what they do best, sticking the finger in a Jewish eye!

Bottom line.....their strategy seems to work very well!