It is indeed deeply regrettable that the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has not fulfilled its mandate in response to the Israeli aggression and the loss of Palestinian lives in both Gaza and the West Bank. As of January 11, 2024, the situation has escalated, with the number of Palestinian casualties reaching nearly 24,000 and over 65,000 individuals reported as wounded in Gaza and the West Bank. Besides, there are thousands who are still missing and buried under debris of destroyed buildings since entire Gaza and some parts of the West Bank have been ruined since October 7, 2023. The United States repeatedly vetoed the UNSC resolution, demanding stoppage of Israeli attack on Gaza. Indeed, the one-sided Israeli aggression and attacks on Palestinians is a blatant violation of human rights and an open act of terrorism, UNSC could have stopped in over three months’ time.
Unfortunately, the entire western world has supported Israeli aggression and terrorism at all levels; militarily, politically, financially and morally. This unjustified support of western world speaks of the western moral and political values and western standards of human rights. Indeed, more than Israel, this one side war has exposed the West; European and North American continents. Unfortunately, since the end of world war-II, these states and their unions have been lecturing the world on human rights, human values and humanity. Whereas, the United States has fully backed the Israeli aggression and terrorism, the other four members of the UNSC remained insensitive over the massive killings and genocide of the Palestinians at the hand of Israel. Their silence and callousness can be clearly attributed as a support for Israeli acts of Palestinian genocide.
Since the entire functioning of the United Nations revolve around five permanent members of the UNSC and Europe and America, therefore, this world body has become hostage to a few powerful states. Indeed, it has lost its worth for remaining world, commonly known as the global South. Since its establishment in 1945, UNO has made biased decisions, which favoured the powerful states and their vested interests. UNO has not addressed the real issues of the world especially in Asian and African continents. The issues of colonial legacies are hurting the contemporary states and communities of Asia and Africa. Among these issues – Palestine and Jammu and Kashmir – are the oldest on the agenda of the United Nations. These issues are willfully prolonged and people of these two areas are punished for no reasons except geopolitical influence of Israel and India – the followers of Zionism and Hindutva. Inopportunely both disputes are the creation of Britain as a colonial power and now fully supported by the United States and Europe. It was a shameful statement of the US President Mr. Joe Biden during his visit to Israel saying, “I come to Israel with a single message; you’re not alone. As long as the United States stands and we will stand forever, we will not let you ever be alone.”
US Secretary of State, repeatedly visited Israel and neighbouring Muslim states and assured Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of full US support. This statement of the US President meant a lot, clearly indicating that Israeli aggression and terrorism against Palestine is supported by the US for a Greater Zionist State in the Arab world. This all has been happening systematically for decades. Indeed, the Biden Administration has started supporting the Israeli state from where the Trump Administration left. During the four-year rule of President Trump, the US secured unprecedented gains for the illegal state of Israel. To name a few; in March 2019, US President Donald Trump officially announced recognition of the Golan Heights as sovereign part of the state of Israel. Golan Heights, the Syrian territory has been under occupation of Israel since 1967, occupied during the six-day war. In December 2017, President Trump formally recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and stated that the American embassy would be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
This move was practically implemented by the US and until now many more states have moved their embassies to Jerusalem despite a clear defeat of the US move in the United Nations General Assembly. Indeed, this is part of the gradual consolidation over the occupied Palestinian land by the state of Israel which is a clear expression of its expansionist designs. Some states in the region have overtly and covertly recognized the state of Israel which goes against their traditional stance as well as the illegal occupation of Palestinian land by Israel. This is shameful on the part of all those states who established diplomatic relations with the state of Israel. Almost entire Muslim world especially the neighbouring states of Israel remained silent during brutal killing and genocide of Palestinians by Israel. In a way, their silence was an indirect support for Israeli aggression and brutalities.
Similarly, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has also become a tool of the West, operating against the human rights of poor Palestinians and Muslims all over the world. It appears that most of the ruling elite in the Middle East are in a race to develop closer ties with Israel while comprising the Arab Land under Israeli occupation and blood and honour of their Palestinian brothers and sisters. The contemporary Arab world protects the US and Israeli interests more than their own interests. Arab ruling elites must envisage that the US-backed Israeli aggression against Palestinians aimed to create a Greater Israeli State through a phased strategy which may include many more neighbouring Arab states.
— The writer is Professor of Politics and IR at International Islamic University, Islamabad.
Email: drmkedu@gmail.com
views expressed are writer’s own.
