You’ve surely heard the news that Palestinian hopes of gaining nine votes for statehood in the Security Council were dealt a blow on Monday when Bosnia indicated that it would abstain. And without nine votes, Palestine won’t trigger the U.S. veto, which is an achievement, because it exposes the Israel lobby and marginalizes the U.S.
It seems that Bosnia’s abstention decision is due to Serbs in Bosnia. And Israel has been cultivating the Serbs. Israel has opposed Kosovo statehood for three years, pleasing Serbians. From the AP story linked above:
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman additionally visited the Bosnian Serb stronghold of Banja Luka where decisions are made on how the Serbs will vote in joint state institutions.
The leader of the Bosnian Serbs and president of their mini-state, Milorad Dodik, said after the meeting that the Serb representatives in the central institutions are against the possibility of Bosnia voting at the Security Council for the Palestinian bid.
He added that he now expects Bosnian Serbs and Israel to strengthen economic ties and work on tourism and agriculture.
…Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki told reporters in late September that the membership bid has support so far from eight Security Council members: Russia, China, India, South Africa, Brazil, Lebanon, Nigeria and Gabon. He said the Palestinians are lobbying for more votes, including from Bosnia and Colombia.
Lot of Islamophobia in Serbs, with or without Israel.
But, Israel was among the first to recognize South Sudan. Why? Arms sales? Repatriation of refugees?
It was the decisive vote and Lieberman spent lots of time in Banja Luka to campaign and find allies for the vote. So ironic in a way:
A city where we saw the complete destruction of churches and mosques. Banja Luka now Sebriska — completely cleansed of Muslim and Catholic Croats, and Muslim Bosnians who lived together. Locals refer to it as the “Humancide” and not the Genocide.
Most of the Croats and Muslims driven from their homes, often brutally, were forced by the Serbs to sign documents surrendering all future rights to their property. Those who remained in the area were often taken away to dig trenches or work as unpaid laborers for the Bosnian Serb army. At times they were forced to live in huts along the front lines as human buffers for the Serbian forces.
http://www.nytimes.com/1996/01/03/world/priest-prays-for-croats-return-to-cleansed-town.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm
Serbian Chetniks were active Nazi collaborators.
What about France? They voted to admit Palestine to UNESCO.