UNITED NATIONS, Jun 21 (IPS) – The United States – which has continued to use its veto to block Palestine from UN membership – could be outmaneuvered by a growing new campaign by some UN member states that plan to seek full political and diplomatic relations with Palestine beyond the borders of the United Nations.
The latest recognitions of the Palestinian territory as a sovereign state have been by Norway, Ireland, Spain and Slovenia, after the General Assembly overwhelmingly – with 143 votes in favor and nine votes against – supported the Palestinian aspiration to become a full-fledged Palestinian state . -full member of the United Nations last month.
But as expected, the resolution submitted to the Security Council was vetoed by the United States last month – and will remain so in the future.
Fortunately, the US does not have a veto to prevent countries from recognizing Palestine as a sovereign nation-state – even though the country could threaten to cut off economic and military aid, especially to developing countries.
“In the middle of a war, with tens of thousands of dead and wounded, we must keep alive the only alternative that offers a political solution for both Israelis and Palestinians: two states living side by side, in peace and security,” the Norwegian Prime Minister said. Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said this.
How many of the remaining 24 European Union (EU) member states will follow Ireland, Spain and Slovenia in establishing diplomatic relations with Palestine?
The 24 include: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Sweden.
Stephen Zunes, professor of politics and chair of Middle East studies at the University of San Francisco, told IPS this underlines how, despite the Biden administration’s claims that it supports a two-state solution, the Biden administration has worked hard to avoid that the United Nations recognizes this. Palestine.
In addition to vetoing the recent UN Security Council resolution admitting Palestine as a member and voting against the General Assembly resolution to elevate its status, the United States was one of only two countries in the 47 member UN Human Rights Council that voted against a resolution. in early April, which “affirmed its support for the solution of two states, Palestine and Israel, living side by side in peace and security.”
“It has been U.S. policy since 1990 to withdraw funding from any United Nations agency that grants Palestine full member status, and the recently passed 2024 Appropriations Act promises to reduce all U.S. funding to the Palestinian Authority if “the Palestinians are given the same status as the Member States.” or full state membership of the United Nations or a specialized agency thereof, outside an agreement negotiated between Israel and the Palestinians,” he stressed.
The Biden administration and Congress have long taken the position that Palestinian statehood is only acceptable under terms that Israel voluntarily accepted during bilateral negotiations.
“Given that such negotiations have not taken place since 2015 and the Israeli government categorically rules out the existence of a Palestinian state, this simply appears to be a way to continue to deny Palestine’s right to self-determination,” Zunes said.
Of the G20, nine countries Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Turkey have recognized Palestine as a sovereign state.
China, one of the five permanent members of the Security Council, has recognized the State of Palestine since 1988 and stated that it supports Palestinian aspirations for full UN membership.
Meanwhile, a group of UN human rights experts said in a June 3 statement: “The State of Palestine has been recognized by the vast majority of the Member States of the United Nations.” All states should follow the example of the 143 UN member states, recognize the State of Palestine and use all political and diplomatic tools at their disposal to achieve an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the UN experts said. “This recognition is an important recognition of the rights of the Palestinian people and their struggle and suffering for freedom and independence,” the experts said. They emphasized that Palestine must enjoy full self-determination, including the opportunity to exist, determine their destiny and develop freely as a people with safety and security. . “This is a prerequisite for lasting peace in Palestine and the entire Middle East – starting with the immediate declaration of a ceasefire in Gaza and no further military incursions in Rafah,” the experts said.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka, former chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with Palestine way back in the 1970s.
Dr. Palitha Kohona, former Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN and until recently Ambassador to China, said Sri Lanka has consistently supported the two-state solution to the situation involving Israel and Palestine and to bring peace to the Middle East.
Despite the elimination of the anti-Israel leaders of Iraq (Saddam Hussein) and Libya (Muammar Gaddafi), the violent changes brought about by the Arab Spring and the diplomatic attempts at reconciliation between the Arab countries and Israel, the situation in the occupied territories remains to exist. as bad as ever, he said.
“In line with our position,” he stressed, “Sri Lanka was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with Palestine since 1975 with a Palestinian Ambassador based in Colombo, whose expenses are borne by the Government of Sri Lanka.”
Sri Lanka maintains a diplomatic presence in Ramallah with a full ambassador, and also chairs the “UN Special Commission to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the People of the Occupied Territories,”
“During my period as Permanent Representative, we came under heavy pressure from Israel to act as chairman of this committee. Sri Lanka has consistently supported the call for a Palestinian state at the United Nations,” said Dr. Kohona.
Ian Williams, president of the Foreign Press Association, says the Coalition of the Appalled, which supports Palestinian membership, is more persuasive than the American coalition of “will-bes” that the US has perpetuated to support the war in Iraq.
A vote on the ‘recognition’ of Palestine is as unnecessary as a vote on accepting the seriousness – it exists! It should be unnecessary to refute the arguments of Israel and its supporters, but Israel itself has no longer accepted borders since its admission.
Micronesia, the Marshalls and Palau, consistent supporters of Israel and the US, have no real sovereignty over their foreign policy, while the US and Britain fought hard to maintain “Kampuchean” membership of the UN when Pol Pot set up a tent in Thailand across the border. , said Williams, former president of the UN Correspondents Association (UNCA) and author of ‘The UN For Beginners’.
“And many of the governments that took part in the war negotiations on the UN Charter were in exile from their occupied territories. This is not about legal recognition, it is about Palestine, as the ghost of the Naqba, sitting at the table and shaking his gray hair at the Zionist murderers and their accomplices.”
Perhaps other members should decide to deny recognition to Israelis holding positions that make Gilad Erdan happy – such as the various vice presidencies and commissions or the supposed membership of the Western European Group that Erdan is so proud of. Time to adjust the desert vulture’s feathers, Williams declared.
IPS UN agency report
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© Inter Press Service (2024) — All rights reservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service
