The United Nations General Assembly is set to vote on Wednesday on a Palestinian draft resolution calling on Israel to comply with its legal obligations under international law, including the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, which has angered Israel.
The draft resolution strongly condemns the continued disregard of the Israeli Government for its obligations, and stresses that such violations seriously threaten regional and international peace and security.
The Palestinians are calling on UN member states to support their freedom by issuing a resolution calling for an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories within 12 months.
The draft resolution is based on an advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice last July at the request of the General Assembly, in which it confirmed that the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories since 1967 is “illegal.”
The UN’s highest judicial body considered that “Israel is obliged to end its illegal presence in the occupied Palestinian territories as soon as possible.”
Accordingly, Arab countries called for a special session of the General Assembly days before dozens of heads of state and government arrive in New York to participate in the opening of the annual session of the General Assembly, which will be dominated by the Israeli war on Gaza.
The Right Side of History
“What is happening in Gaza today could be the last chapter of the tragedy that the Palestinian people are living, or it could be the first chapter of a more tragic reality for our region as a whole,” Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations Riyad Mansour said, calling on members to “stand on the right side of history,” according to the Palestinian News Agency (WAFA).
“I stand on this platform, at this historic and tragic juncture, to tell the Palestinian people that change will come, that their destiny is not endless suffering and torment, and that freedom is their natural right and destiny,” Mansour added, presenting for the first time a draft resolution on behalf of the observer state of Palestine, a right it recently obtained.
The latest version of the text includes a paragraph calling on member states to take measures to stop the export of weapons to Israel that could be used against the Palestinians.
“I hope we will achieve good numbers,” Mansour said, praising the “tremendous sympathy and solidarity” towards the Palestinians.
While the Security Council remains largely paralyzed on this issue due to the United States’ repeated use of its veto to protect its ally Israel, the General Assembly has adopted several texts in support of the Palestinians since the outbreak of the war last October.
Last May, the Assembly gave significant but symbolic support to the Palestinians, ruling by 143 votes in favor, 9 against and 25 abstentions that they had the right to full membership in the United Nations, something the United States is blocking.
Israeli condemnation
Although General Assembly resolutions are non-binding, Israel has denounced the new text.
Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon considered that “the draft resolution is diplomatic terrorism, using the tools of diplomacy not to build bridges but to destroy them.”
“You can choose to stand with justice, peace and those who seek real solutions to the region’s challenges, or you can participate in this circus, this farce, this political theater,” Danon added, where “evil is legitimate, war is peace, murder is justified, and terrorism is welcomed.”