ISTANBUL
British-Israeli jazz musician Gilad Atzmon has harshly criticized the vote by the U.S. opposing the Palestinian statehood bid at the U.N.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency as part of a promotion campaign for his February concert with Turkey’s renowned musician Mercan Dede, Atzmon said that it was clear the majority of the states supported Palestinian’s the U.N. bid which called for an end to Israeli occupation within three years.
The 55-year-old Israel-born British jazz saxophonist Atzmon said: “Eight (countries) voted for Palestinians, for the end of Israeli occupation.”
The United Nations Security Council on Dec. 30. rejected a Palestinian draft resolution calling for a three-year deadline for the end of Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory.
The motion, initially submitted by Jordan after being agreed upon by Arab states, failed to obtain the minimum nine votes from the 15-member council, with both the U.S. and Australia voting against the proposal.
“I though it was Palestine’s victory,” he said. “Palestine, a small entity, which doesn’t exist according to the United Nations, already managed to isolate America.”
“The message is very clear and very dangerous for America,” the British musician added.
The U.K., Nigeria, Rwanda, South Korea and Lithuania all abstained from voting, while Jordan, France, Russia, China, Argentina, Chad, Chile and Luxembourg all voted in favor.
If adopted, the resolution would have set a three-year deadline for Israel to fully withdraw from the occupied territories and to declare East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders.
Direct, U.S.-brokered Palestinian-Israeli talks ground to a halt last April when Israel refused to release a group of Palestinian prisoners despite earlier pledges to do so.
The Israel-born British jazz saxophonist Atzmon had already twice played in Istanbul. He will be performing at Istanbul’s Cemal Resit Rey Concert Hall next month accompanied by his band the Orient House Ensemble.
Atzmon’s “Exile” was the BBC’s jazz album of the year in 2004.
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