The UN approves Palestinian nonmember status by a wide margin

The UN General Assembly Thursday night voted 138 in favor, 9 against and 41 abstentions for the Palestinian application for nonmember observer status.  Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas delivered a virulent speech accusing Israel of murdering Palestinians, apartheid, brutality and aggression as demonstrated in its Gaza operation. He omitted to mention the long Palestinian missile blitz of Israeli civilian locations. When Abbas’ Fatah activists went around trying to whip up popular celebrations in Palestinian West Bank towns, they met general apathy.