UNITED NATIONS: UN member states voted on Wednesday to formally demand an end to the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories within 12 months and sanctions for non-compliance.

The non-binding resolution, which Israel claimed would fuel violence, calling it “distorted” and “cynical,” is based on an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) saying the occupation since 1967 was “unlawful.” There were 124 votes in favor, 14 against and a notable 43 abstentions, with the Palestinian delegation heralding the adoption as “historic.” Arab countries called the special session just days before several world leaders meet at UN headquarters to address the kick off of this year’s General Assembly.

The move also comes weeks ahead of the one-year anniversary of Israel-Hamas conflict. The resolution — the first introduced by the Palestinian delegation itself under new rights gained this year — demands that Israel “brings to an end without delay its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.” It calls for a withdrawal “no later than 12 months” from the resolution’s adoption. A previous draft gave only six months.

“The idea is you want to use the pressure of the international community in the General Assembly and the pressure of the historic ruling by the ICJ to force Israel to change its behavior,” said Palestinian ambassador Riyad Mansour on Monday. Israel rejected the resolution.

There were 124 votes in favour, 14 against and 43 abstentions

“This is what cynical international politics looks like,” foreign ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein said on X. He said it was “a distorted decision that is disconnected from reality, encourages terrorism and harms the chances for peace.”

‘Inhumanity’

There solution “demands” the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Palestinian territories, a halt to new settlements, the return of seized land and property, and the possibility of return for displaced Palestinians. It also calls on states “to take steps toward ceasing” arms provisions to Israel when there are “reasonable grounds to suspect that they may be used in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”

“The Palestinians want to live — not survive. They want to be safe in their homes,” Mansour said ahead of the vote on Tuesday. “How many more Palestinians need to be killed before change finally takes place to stop this inhumanity?”

US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield condemned the resolution ahead of the vote as “inflammatory” and said it “is not going to advance the cause of peace.” The United States voted against the resolution as did Hungary, the Czech Republic and several smaller island nations. “It also fails to acknowledge, among other things, that Hamas, a terrorist organisation, is currently exerting power, control and influence in Gaza,” Thomas-Greenfield said.

While the Security Council is largely paralysed on the Gaza issue — with the United States repeatedly vetoing censures of its ally Israel — the General Assembly has adopted several texts in support of Palestinian civilians amid the current conflict. No country in the General Assembly has veto power.

In May the assembly overwhelmingly supported a largely symbolic resolution on full Palestinian membership at the UN, garnering 143 votes in favor, nine against with 25 abstentions. The push had previously been vetoed by Washington at the Security Council.

More than 41,272 Palestinians, a majority of them civilians, have been killed in Israel’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip since the conflict began, according to data provided by the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. The UN has acknowledged these figures as reliable.

Louis Charbonneau, UN director at Human Rights Watch, said “Israel should immediately heed the demand of an overwhelming majority of UN member states.”

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2024