Israel and the United States have shown their sharpest public disagreement yet over the conduct and future of the war against Hamas as the two allies became increasingly isolated by global calls for a ceasefire.
This came as the 193-member United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) voted overwhelmingly in favour of a resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire in war-torn Gaza.
Before the UN vote, Israel’s UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan said, “A ceasefire means one thing and one thing only – ensuring the survival of Hamas, ensuring the survival of genocidal terrorists committed to the annihilation of Israel and Jews.”
Tuesday’s resolution passed with 153 countries voting in favour, 23 abstaining and 10 countries voting against, including Israel and the United States. While the resolution is non-binding, it serves as an indicator of global opinion.
In an indication of weakening support for Israel, the resolution passed by a wider margin than a similar UN measure in October, which got 121 votes in favor, 14 against and 44 abstentions.
Even though, both Israel and U.S voted against the non-binding resolution, cracks are beginning to show in the stance of the two leaders; Benjamin Netanyahu and Joe Biden.
Before the resolution, Biden warned that Israel risks losing international support over its “indiscriminate bombing” of civilians in its war against Hamas in the besieged Gaza Strip.
“Israel’s security can rest on the United States, but right now it has more than the United States. It has the European Union, it has Europe, it has most of the world supporting them,” Biden said to donors during a fundraiser on Tuesday.
“But they’re starting to lose that support by indiscriminate bombing that takes place,” Biden said.
In the most public sign of division between the leaders so far, Biden also said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu needed to change his hardline government and that ultimately Israel “can’t say no” to an independent Palestinian state – something that Israeli hardliners oppose.
In a brief statement posted on social media, Hussein al-Sheikh, Secretary-General of the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s executive committee, said that the UN General Assembly resolution “demonstrates Israel’s isolation internationally, and requires international will to implement this resolution immediately.”
Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank, Israeli military raid on Jenin and its refugee camp has surpassed the 24-hour mark with no signs of stopping.
As the raid entered its second day on Wednesday, it now stands as one of the “largest, longest” on the occupied West Bank since the commencement of Israel’s war on Gaza on October 7.
It was reported that seven Palestinians have been killed, and there are a “number of wounded civilians with various injuries.”
The report added that there were “confrontations between Palestinian youths and the occupation forces, which … launched a campaign of arrests among citizens.”
Rift Caused By U.S Indulgence
Tamer Qarmout, Assistant Professor of public policy at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, opined that the emerging rift between the U.S and Israel over the war is the “result of a long US tolerance for Israel’s policies, eliminating any prospect of peace with the Palestinians.”
He stated, “The US for decades has accommodated Israel, protected Israel, shielded Israel … Israel feels it has an immunity to keep going with its occupation.”
“That’s the real problem here,” he said.
The result, Qarmout said, “is that, because of this long-term indulgence, you have a rebellious Israeli government that is in direct confrontation with the U.S now.”
“They have a clear rift now … they don’t have a shared vision over the peace process any more,” he added.
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