In a blow to Israel’s right to self-defense the United Nations General Assembly voted not to condemn Hamas violence and in favor of international protection for the Palestinian people along the Gaza border, in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.
In a blow to Israel’s right to self-defense the United Nations General Assembly voted not to condemn Hamas violence and in favor of international protection for the Palestinian people along the Gaza border, in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.
The dramatic three hour debate ended on Wednesday evening with resounding applause for the Palestinians as a resolution that censured Israeli actions in Gaza passed by 120-8, with 45 abstentions. The text made no mention of Hamas.
The six nations who joined Israel and the US in opposing the measure were; Australia, Micronesia, Nauru, Togo, Solomon Islands and the Marshal Islands.
An American amendment condemning Hamas was struck down, even though it had a slim majority, 62-58 and 42 abstentions. The vote just barely fell short of the required two-thirds majority to pass.
US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley lashed out at the U.N. after the vote.
“Today the U.N. made the morally bankrupt judgment that the recent Gaza violence is all Israel’s fault. It is no wonder that no one takes the U.N. seriously as a force for Middle East peace,” Haley said.
“But the common practice of turning a blind eye to the U.N.’s anti-Israel bias is changing. Today, a plurality of 62 countries voted in favor of the U.S.-led effort to address Hamas’s responsibility for the disastrous conditions in Gaza. We had more countries on the right side than the wrong side,” she said.
Prior to the vote Haley said that her country’s amendment “reflects the minimum truth of what is going on in Gaza. It is the least that any self-respecting international organization or nation can do for the cause of peace.”
“To those who are unsure about how to vote, I ask, what part of our amendment is objectionable? Is it objectionable to condemn Hamas for firing the rockets at civilians?” Haley asked.
“Today’s choice for the General Assembly is simple. It is the choice between using our time here to advance peace and security, or using it to stoke hatred and conflict. This vote will tell us much about which countries are serious about accuracy and reconciliation and which countries are bound by their political agendas,” she said.
Palestinian Ambassador to the U.N. Riyad Mansour argued that his people had the same right to protection as any other nation.
“We cannot remain silent in the face of the most violent crimes and human rights violations being systemically perpetuated against our people,” Mansour said.
It’s not enough to be concerned or condemn, Mansour said. “We need action. We need protection of our civilian population.”
“And why should that offend anyone. We are just asking for our civilian population to be protected. Is that a crime to ask for?” Mansour said.
“We ask for your invaluable solidarity and support in this endeavor,” he said.
“The General Assembly always stood with people who were under oppression, oppressed and struggling to end colonialism,” he said.
Mansour made a number of pointed comments against the United States. He changed that they had acted in “bad faith” in an attempt to deflect the focus away from the initial resolution.
Israel’s Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon told the General Assembly prior to Haley’s statement that if the U.N. approved the Palestinian resolution, “it will have signed in writing its unequivocal support for terrorism against Israel.”
“Let us not pretend,” Danon said. “If ISIS were to attack Stockholm tomorrow, ISIS would be held responsible for the attack. If al-Qaeda assaulted Paris, the U.N. would issue the strongest condemnation of al-Qaeda,” he added.
“Only when Hamas attacks Israel does the U.N. seek to blame Israel,” Danon said.
“The moral majority in this chamber should not tolerate a different standard for Israeli victims of terror,” he said.
“I have a simple message for those who support this resolution. You are the ammunition for Hamas’s guns. You are the warheads for Hamas’s missiles,” Danon said.
The U.N. General Assembly debate was called by Algeria, Turkey and the Palestinian Authority to put forward a resolution that supported a U.N. protection force for Palestinians.
The PA turned to the U.N. General Assembly after the U.N. Security Council rejected a similar draft two weeks ago.
This resolution calls on U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres to submit a written report within 60 days with recommendation on how to ensure the safety of the Palestinian population “under Israeli occupation” including “recommendations regarding an international protection mechanism.”
The PA called for the session through a mechanism called the Uniting for Peace Resolution, designed in the Cold War era to circumvent UNSC veto by the former Soviet Union.
There are those who contend that the resolution gives the U.N. General Assembly the ability to act in cases where the UNSC is deadlocked.
The U.N. has rejected that interpretation, arguing it does not grant such power to the UNGA.
Article source: http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Russias-Lavrov-says-US-breaching-nuclear-arms-agreement-543848
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