There is no doubt that U.S-Israel ties are strong and have been bolstered over the years.
The strategic cooperation between the two countries spans various fields, especially military and intelligence collaboration.
The U.S. has consistently provided military aid and advanced weaponry to bolster Israel’s defense capabilities. Also, U.S position as a permanent member of the Security Council has granted Israel the leeway to escape many resolutions.
Antonio Guterres’ invocation of Article 99 practically went to a nought. Though it wasn’t a surprise a many, it shook many a person’s perceptions about the war.
At a Security Council meeting convened at the behest of the UN Secretary-General’s invocation of Article 99 on Friday, U.S vetoed the resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire.
Deputy U.S Ambassador to the UN Robert Wood told the council that the draft resolution was a rushed, imbalanced text “that was divorced from reality, that would not move the needle forward on the ground in any concrete way.”
“We do not support this resolution’s call for an unsustainable ceasefire that will only plant the seeds for the next war,” he said.
It points to the fact that U.S is not ready to give up on Isreal.
It also affirms that Israel is in for a long war with Hamas.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already stated that Israel will continue to fight until they achieve all their goals, which include the release of all those being held captive, the destruction of Hamas and the demilitarisation of Gaza.
Since these goals have not been achieved, the end of the war is a long way away.
The international community is increasing pressure on Israel due to the rising death toll in Gaza, however, Netanyahu is unmoved as he knows that it has the support of his strongest ally; U.S.
U.S veto on Friday proves that the country is very much in line with what Israel is doing.
Currently, if America is putting any pressure on Israel, it is minimal.
This is because, the Biden administration announced on Saturday that the U.S. State Department has approved the emergency sale of 14,000 rounds of tank ammunition to Israel for about $106.5 million.
The purchase will bypass congressional review, which is usually a requirement for foreign military sales.
This shows why U.S has been accused of having double standards.
Permanent representative to the UN, Zhang Jun, told the Security council, “Condoning the continuation of fighting while claiming to care about the lives and safety of people in Gaza is self-contradictory.”
“Condoning the continuation of fighting while advocating for the prevention of the spillover effects of the conflict is self-deceiving. Condoning the continuation of fighting while making references to the protection of women and children and human rights is hypocritical. All these once again show us what double standards are.”
Zhang Jun
UNGA Resolution 377
Egypt and Mauritania have invoked the UN General Assembly Resolution 377 “Uniting for Peace” in a letter to the President of the General Assembly.
In their letter requesting the meeting, Egypt and Mauritania referred to the “grave situation of the Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip”.
In their letter, Egypt and Mauritania said the special session was needed after “a Permanent Member of the Security Council” vetoed a Security Council Gaza ceasefire resolution – a reference to the US.
The president responded by convening a special session of the assembly to be held on Tuesday.
The UN General Assembly will hold a special session at 3pm New York time [20:00 GMT] on Tuesday, the President of the UN General Assembly has said.
In a letter to member states, Dennis Francis said he had called the meeting at the request of Egypt and Mauritania, the chairs of the Arab Group and the Organization for Islamic Cooperation of countries.
Adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1950, Resolution 377 allows the 193-member UN body to act where the UN Security Council has failed to “exercise its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security”.
he resolution provides a mechanism for convening an Emergency Special Session of the General Assembly. decisions are made by a two-thirds majority vote. This is in contrast to the Security Council, where decisions typically require the concurring votes of all five permanent members and a total of nine affirmative votes.
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