The UN General Assembly on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly to adopt a resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza as global opposition to the US-backed Israeli massacre of Palestinians continues to rise.
Out of the 193 members of the General Assembly, 153 countries supported the resolution, 10 voted against it, and 23 abstained. The US and Israel voted against the ceasefire and were joined by Austria, Czechia, Guatemala, Liberia, Micronesia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, and Paraguay.
The resolution expresses “grave concern over the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and the suffering of the Palestinian civilian population, and emphasizing that the Palestinian and Israeli civilian populations must be protected in accordance with international humanitarian law.”
It demands an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire,” calls on all parties to follow international law, and demands “the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, as well as ensuring humanitarian access.”
Last week, the US vetoed a similar resolution at the UN Security Council that received support from 13 out of the 15 members, while the UK abstained from voting. But the US does not have veto power on the General Assembly, and while the resolution is non-binding, it demonstrates how the US is isolating itself on the world stage by backing Israel’s slaughter.
In just over two months, Israel’s bombardment and siege on Gaza has killed over 18,000 Palestinians, including over 7,000 children, and about 90% of the enclave’s population has been displaced. Israeli officials have rejected international pressure for a ceasefire and vowed the war will go on, possibly for months or even years.
We WANT a BLOODY CEASEFIRE!!!
Or else what? What consequence?
General Assembly resolutions carry no meaningful authority other than moral authority. So, unless nations of the world take action outside the UN, or the US stops vetoing Security Council resolutions, or else nothing. No consequences.
Sigh
They only have authority if done under the Uniting For Peace rule.
It does not seem that this one was. But with these numbers, that could be next.
Yes, that’s possible. I was pretty sure that most of the (few) emergency sessions under UNGA Resolution 377(V) have been about Israel/Palestine/the Middle East, so I checked. There have been eleven in total, eight of them on those subjects, including the first one, on the Suez crisis in 1956.
https://research.un.org/en/docs/ga/quick/emergency
Of course, 377(V) provides merely that:
Emphasis added. As is always the case, the GA can’t force anyone to do anything. Nor, in most cases, can the SC, for that matter. It certainly can’t compel or restrain the actions of superpowers and their client states.
Sad.
The term that comes to mind is wishy washy or pussy whipped.
The impotence of the General Assembly and the domination of the Security Council by the victorious Allies of WWII are features of the UN structure, not bugs. It was never intended that the rest of the world would have any real power or authority.
UNSC resolutions are also ignored by neocons and their subordinated politicians in other NATO countries. Minsk Agreements for example.
Yes. Actually, they are often ignored by anyone who wants to ignore them.
Uncle Sammy showed his ass to the whole wide world and proceeded to shit on the concept of international law.
18,500 dead civilians don’t mean a thing to imperialists and racists.
just like a pack of Babboons
Let RussiChina,Iran,Venezuela and North Korea obey internationa llaw.
US & Israel against the world
Hope it will validate and strengthen US pro-Palestinian forces.
Hope it will cause more countries to cut ties w/Israel, and strengthen, internationalize, the BDS movement. Admittedly, that’s being hopeful.
The below piece discusses both diplomatic relations and BDS – on BDS, pointing to thorny distinctions between the South Africa vs. Israel case.
“The growing diplomatic backlash against Israel’s war on Gaza”
h ttps://www.newarab.com/analysis/growing-diplomatic-backlash-against-israels-war-gaza
See also:
“Which countries have withdrawn diplomats over Israel’s actions in Gaza”
https://www.axios.com/2023/11/16/israel-gaza-war-countries-against-cease-fire-diplomats
There has to be a better word than “isolating” to describe what our hapless clown-car of cretins have done to us on the world stage. In a world of 8.1B having a non-combatant vote total representing 61M is far beyond isolated; it’s not 1 breathing percent, it’s more like dead.
Muslims are nearly a quarter of the world’s population but less than 20% of that population is in the ME. You know that part of the world the US is “rebalancing” to, the part projected to be this century’s economic powerhouse and where the US has been trying to recoup the influence it’s lost to China, Southeast Asia? It’s 42% Muslim.
Our cretin clown-car’s not isolating, it’s decomposing.
What’s your preference in clowns?
Cretinous or non?
I prefer Weary Willie to Pennywise, you know more representative of the people than genocidal psychopaths 😉
I know the police cause you trouble
They cause trouble everywhere
But when you die and go to Heaven
You’ll find no policemen there
So go to sleep you weary hobo
Let the towns drift slowly by
Listen to the steel rails hummin’
That’s a hobo’s lulla
A hobo the result of the Great Depression and we might well be Charlestoning our way to GD2. Some economic forecasters think so. There’re some mighty interesting economic and societal parallels between those decades and our own 🙂
Planet Earth hath a Pariah and thine name is Israel.
I am thinking more “The US Federal Government,” the root cause of this murderous rampage in Gaza, the proxy war in Ukraine, the disintegration of Libya, the robbing of Syria, and the Iraq war
Es verdad.Let us never forget the recent history in Central and South America like Cuba,Chile and Salvador.
Make that two.
Papua New Guinea, how could you?!?!?
Uncle Sam has assured them protection against Indonesia.
I will make sure I don’t vacation in any of those countries above anytime…! Wait a minute, I live in US…! Shame on me…!
UN wants a ceasefire in Gaza but not Ukraine, hum, interesting.
just wait until Ukraine has to pay the bill.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/04/1116412
March 2, 2022, eight days after the Russian invasion:
https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/3965290?ln=en
stokr has no idea what s/he is talking about.
Yes, it was nice of the UN Secretary-General António Guterres to call for a ceasefire soon after hostilities but where was the rest of the UN, had to wait till Feb 2023?
Wrong.
https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-politics-european-union-united-nations-bf358308fcf56a9513a0a7841ccf456d
https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/un-draft-resolution-calls-for-ceasefire-in-ukraine-and-peace-1.6275983
According to your attachments the UN did move for a Ukraine ceasefire in Feb 2023.
One year AFTER the Russian invasion and a war many magnitudes higher in deaths and destruction.
Compare that to the UN calling for a ceasefire in Gaza a mere 2 months after Oct 7.
The scope and devastation of each conflict are markedly different as is the UN’s timeline for action.
Which makes the UN’s rapid action now vs the snail’s pace in Ukraine, interesting and telling.
What do you think the difference in the timelines tells us?
All wars are not treated the same at the UN.
What do you think it tells us.
It doesn’t tell me anything in particular. I was just wondering what it tells you. I guess I’ll have to keep wondering, unless, of course, you actually decide to tell us.
In the interim, perhaps it will help to clarify your thinking if I tell you that the UNGA first called for a ceasefire in Ukraine — just by the way, citing 377 A (V) — eight (8) days after Russia’s invasion. See A_RES_ES-11_1-EN (That stands for Assembly Resolution, Emergency Session 11, 1st meeting, English version).
Seriously? You can’t be that callous.
Facts aren’t “callous” just facts.
Ignoring the massive civilian death count was the callousness I was talking about. You ignore that “fact” making you a callous asshole.
So what else is new?.The be US has been protecting Israel like forever. Same shit different day.It is the same thinking that has overthrown governments that won’t kiss our ass.The worm is turning and the US and Israel will be the LAST to get the word or to do the right thing.
“Austria, Czechia, Guatemala, Liberia, Micronesia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, and Paraguay.” Those countries are one level below lackeys. …What’s one level below lackeys?
Those are the dogs that eagerly stand under while the lackeys relieve themselves.
Israeli soldiers accused of plundering livestock in Gaza
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20231212-israeli-soldiers-accused-of-plundering-livestock-in-gaza/
Footage has emerged showing Israeli soldiers in the northern part of Gaza plundering camels and donkeys from local villagers. In the video, soldiers can be heard expressing gratitude for donations and declaring victory while moving the livestock .
How can any nation vote against humanitarian measures? It should be unthinkable. But US Blood money goes a long way doesn’t it?