
Ukraine Supporting Anti-Israel Votes in UN
Israel’s envoy to Kiev stated over the weekend that “in 90% of cases,” Ukraine supports anti-Israel resolutions at the UN. Since Ukraine was fighting Russian forces on its own land, Israeli leaders were particularly enraged by the resolutions it supported in November 2022, one of which called for a worldwide conference on Israeli-Palestinian peace in Moscow and another calling for a Middle East free of nuclear weapons.
Additionally, Ukraine backed a motion asking the International Court of Justice to provide “urgent” commentary on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Israeli “annexation.” After the voting, Alexey Arestovych, a personal assistant to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, declared that it was “a grave mistake.” At the time, Brodsky stated, “Supporting anti-Israeli initiatives in the UN doesn’t help to build trust” between the two nations.
United Nations (UN)
Israel has backed pro-Ukrainian UN resolutions, such as one on the first anniversary of the conflict that demands that Russia withdraw its troops and halt hostilities in the country. Contrary to its Western partners, though, it has refused to give Ukraine military assistance in spite of the country’s repeated appeals.
Israel has upheld a strong policy of avoiding giving military aid, including technology that may help it stop Russian missile and drone assaults, even as it has provided humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. Israel’s strategic necessity to preserve its freedom of operation in Syria where Russia controls much of the airspace seems to be the driving force behind the move. Along with citing manufacturing and supply constraints, Israeli authorities have voiced concern that cutting-edge military technology may end up in the hands of adversaries.
Israel
This week at the UN General Assembly, speakers from more than 65 nations denounced the Russian invasion of Ukraine and offered the Ukrainian people their best wishes and prayers. Israel chose to send Moti Cohen, the janitor and handyman of the Israeli New York mission, to deliver the country’s statements in what was perceived as an attempt to appease Russian strongman Vladimir Putin. Additionally, Israel’s ambassador, Gilad Erdan, had already made an appointment to go to the hairdresser.
After his spontaneous address, in which he expressed respect for Ukraine’s sanitary standards, Cohen remarked, “I’ve never spoken in public before.” “Your country should support my country in matters important to us, just as Israel acts in relation to Ukraine in matters vitally important to you,” Brodsky said in the interview, “if Ukraine views Israel as a friendly state and turns to it with requests.” Over 100 people have been injured and at least 90 people have died as a result of the most recent Israeli airstrikes on the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza. According to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, the enclave’s Health Ministry claimed that the strikes on Sunday affected a home block in the town of Jabalia that belonged to the al-Barsh and Alwan families. More dead were thought to be under the debris while first responders and locals looked for the injured.
Diplomacy And International Relations
The vote takes place as international pressure mounts on Israel to halt its months-long assault on Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of over 18,000 Palestinians, the most of whom were women and children. In addition, almost 80% of Gaza’s 2.3 million citizens have been forced to flee their homes.
UN authorities have referred to the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian area as “hell on earth” due to continuous airstrikes and an Israeli blockade. The Gaza Strip now has far less access to gasoline, food, water, and power as a result of the Israeli military operation. The measure was doomed to pass since the US rejected it, casting the lone dissenting vote. The United Kingdom refrained from voting.
UNSC resolutions have the authority to be legally binding, unlike UNGA votes. The draft resolution, according to Egyptian UN Ambassador Osama Abdelkhalek, is “balanced and neutral,” calling for the release of all prisoners and the protection of civilians on all sides. Calls for a ceasefire were harshly denounced by Israel’s ambassador Gilad Erdan, who referred to the UN as a “moral stain” on mankind.
Middle East and Political Alliances
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres took the rare step of invoking Article 99 of the UN Charter, which permits him to express warnings about significant dangers to world peace, following Friday’s UNSC resolution that was thwarted. It was not used again until 1971.
However, the US opposed the non-binding UNGA resolution’s approval on Tuesday as well.
The US has been under fire for allegedly using a double standard when it comes to human rights from Russia, which it has harshly criticized for comparable acts in Ukraine. Israel’s military operation enjoys the unwavering support of US President Joe Biden’s administration, which maintains that Israel must be given permission to destroy Hamas.
But the US is finding itself more and more at odds with world opinion as Israeli soldiers flatten whole neighborhoods, including hospitals and schools.