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Showing posts with label Israel-Palestine conflict. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Israel-Palestine conflict. Show all posts

Monday, November 27, 2023

US foreign policy root cause of Gaza crisis

 

JIN DING/CHINA DAILY


The bloody Israel-Palestine conflict that broke out more than a month ago has not yet subsided, has caused heavy loss of lives and the number of casualties on both sides continues to rise, which is heartbreaking. It goes without saying that the historical roots of the conflict are deep and the situation is far more complex than it seems, and the US' Middle East policy is largely to blame for the conflict.

It all started with former US president Donald Trump announcing in 2018 the plan to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which effectively means the US recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a goal the latter has long sought.

The US' handling of this conflict has also added fuel to the fire on the ground. Although the US ultimately called Israel for a "humanitarian cease-fire" following pressure from the Arab world and the international community, it has already lost support internationally. The various diplomatic measures the US undertakes violate the morality of a major power and are closely related to its political system.

On the surface, this conflict was triggered by an attack on Israel by the Palestinian armed group Hamas, but the underlying reason is the accumulation of hatred and anger between the two sides as the Palestinian issue has not been resolved

According to Resolution 181 (United Nations Plan for the Partition of the Mandate of Palestine) adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on Nov 29, 1947, the establishment of two temporary states was proposed, one being the Jewish state of Israel and the other the state of Palestine

However, this resolution has never been implemented. Israel has not only occupied Palestinian land, but has also continued to expand and strengthen Israeli settlements on Palestinian land. It has implemented long-term blockades and violent suppression of Palestinians, causing Israel-Palestine conflicts to break out from time to time, and the grievances between the two sides to deepen.

Not only has the US failed to deal with the Palestinian issue seriously and fairly, it has instead favored and sheltered Israel. After Hamas launched the attack on Oct 7, the US Embassy in Jerusalem took the lead in tweeting condemnation of Hamas' attack, saying that the US was in touch with Israeli officials and fully supported Israel's "right to self-defense".

When US President Joe Biden met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Oct 18, he actually expressed support for Israel's counterattack instead of trying to ease the situation. That emboldened Israel to launch ruthless military strikes against Palestine. Israel's large-scale air strikes, including those targeting refugee camps and hospitals in Gaza, have caused heavy casualties to the people of Gaza.

Some 30 years ago, the US had briefly acted as a "peace messenger" trying to resolve the Israel-Palestine issue. In 1993, the leaders of Israel and Palestine signed the Oslo Accords under the guidance of then US president Bill Clinton. Israel and Palestine recognized each other's legitimacy and agreed to end the violent conflict through a peace agreement. Israel withdrew from Gaza and parts of the West Bank. Both sides established a road map for peace in the Middle East. Unfortunately, the agreement was blocked by radical forces on both sides, and then Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated.

After the George W. Bush administration came to power, the US launched a war on terrorism because of the Sept 11 terrorist attacks. It completely abandoned Clinton's Middle East peace process, turned to unilateralism, and promoted neo-conservatism with the goal of overthrowing "hostile governments" such as in Iraq.

When Barack Obama became president, the US adopted a moderate policy toward the Middle East. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, signed by Obama eased relations with Iran. On the Israel-Palestine issue, the Obama administration criticized Israel's actions in the West Bank and expressed dissatisfaction with the construction of Jewish settlements.

Unfortunately, after Trump was elected president, the US returned to the unilateralism of the Bush era. Adhering to the Cold War mentality, in order to maintain its hegemony, it continued to form cliques and provoked conflicts, triggering serious political and economic problems around the world. The conflict between the two sides has made the situation in the Middle East unstable and the Israel-Palestine conflict continues to this day. It can be seen that the evolution of Israel-Palestine relations from peace talks, conflicts to wars is closely linked to the attitude of the US.- China Daily/Asia News Network.

Edward Wong is a researcher of Hong Kong Sustainable Development Research Institute. Ivan Chu is a member of the Chinese Association of the Hong Kong and Macao Studies.

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The West never had a chance at winning over the world

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Saturday, October 21, 2023

US vetoed, killing United Nations Security Council (UNSC) draft resolution for comprehensive ceasefire is stained with the blood of Israeli and Palestinian civilians

 



A man carries an injured child at a hospital after Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City, October 17, 2023. Photo: Xinhua

A man carries an injured child at a hospital after Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City, October 17, 2023. Photo: Xinhua

The US veto is stained with the blood of Israeli and Palestinian civilians

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC), consisting of 15 member states, voted on October 18 on a draft resolution regarding the Israeli-Palestinian situation. The US cast the sole dissenting vote, leading to the resolution's failure to pass. China expressed shock and disappointment at this decision, which is not exclusive to China but represents a general sentiment within the international community. Even the US' allies, Japan and France, voted in favor, choosing to stand with the just forces of the international community, leaving the US standing alone on the opposite side.

The draft resolution submitted by Brazil sends a clear signal, which is to prioritize achieving an immediate comprehensive ceasefire above all else. This reflects the most significant consensus within the current international community. However, it was vetoed by the US, resulting in direct and severe consequences.

The situation in Gaza is escalating, with more civilians losing their lives and suffering. The recent tragic incident where over 500 people lost their lives in a hospital in Gaza due to an airstrike has made the situation even more urgent. Every minute and second counts, and there is an urgent need for swift and decisive action by the UNSC. All countries genuinely concerned about the humanitarian disaster in Gaza are making maximum efforts. The US veto is stained with the blood of innocent civilians, and it is a grave injustice. It not only prevents collective action by the UNSC but also sends an extremely negative signal, indicating that the UN cannot ensure basic international humanitarian principles at critical moments. In fact, this gives a green light to those who do not abide by international humanitarian law.

The reasons for the US veto are increasingly untenable and appear to be mere excuses. The US claims it voted against the resolution because it didn't mention Israel's right to self-defense. However, as the French representative pointed out, there is no contradiction between the resolution and Israel's right to self-defense. The contradiction lies with the US. On Monday night, the US vetoed a resolution proposed by Russia, citing the absence of condemnation for Hamas and expressing a willingness to use the Brazilian proposal as a basis, requesting more time to seek consensus.

While this was somewhat regrettable, it also provided hope that the Brazilian proposal might pass. In the over 40 hours before the vote, the US neither commented on the Brazilian resolution nor indicated opposition, further raising expectations that the resolution would be adopted. Nevertheless, the US still cast its veto, which is truly unbelievable and raises doubts about whether the US really wants the UNSC to take any action and genuinely solve the problem.

The Brazil-drafted resolution condemns all violence and hostilities against civilians and all acts of terrorism, urging all parties to act in consistent with international law. It also calls for the continuous, sufficient and unhindered provision of essential goods and services to civilians, the rescission of the order for civilians and UN staff to evacuate all areas in Gaza north of the Wadi Gaza as well as the ensuring of humanitarian assistance. The draft resolution in general reflects the universal call of the international community and represents the initial steps taken by the UNSC to promote a ceasefire. It may be the only text that the UNSC can reach a consensus on in the current situation. If passed, it is believed that it will play a role in achieving a ceasefire, protecting civilians, and avoiding a greater humanitarian disaster.

However, the draft resolution was easily blocked by the US with a veto, reflecting the deep-rooted disregard of the US for the humanitarian disaster in Gaza. The US, which often talks about human rights, reveals its true face when it comes to the urgent moment when a large number of civilians' right to life is trampled upon. This incident has also attracted considerable attention in the US public opinion. The New York Times stated that the UN Security Council displayed deep divisions when it failed to pass the resolution; CNN said that the veto sparked "more criticism of political paralysis in the powerful global body."

The veto from the US has not only violated the most basic morality and justice, but also damaged the authority and credibility of the UNSC, weakening the ability and willingness of the international community to maintain peace and security. The "inability" of the UN in upholding international humanitarianism today is directly caused by the US' disregard and deviation from international humanitarianism. The Security Council needs to make changes and cannot remain stagnant. The international community needs to increase moral condemnation of such behavior by the US, exert pressure, and urge it to quickly turn away from standing in opposition to the international community.

The biased attitude of the US is one of the root causes of the long-standing Palestine issue, and it acts as a catalyst for escalating the conflict when it erupts. Currently, the international community must prioritize achieving an immediate comprehensive ceasefire to prevent the war from turning into a catastrophe that engulfs the entire region. The US bears the greatest responsibility in this regard and cannot evade it.

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