Dave DeCamp
September 18,
2024
The UN General
Assembly on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly in favor of a resolution calling for
an end to Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories.
The resolution
passed in a vote of 124-14, with 43 nations abstaining. The resolution affirmed
an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice that deemed the
Israeli occupation of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem to be illegal.
The resolution
sets a 12-month timeline for Israeli forces and settlers to leave the occupied
territories. However, like the ICJ ruling, the resolution is not legally
binding, and the UN has no way of enforcing it.
Israel and the
US were among the 14 countries that voted against the resolution. The other 12
countries were Hungary, the Czech Republic, Argentina, Fiji, Malawi, Nauru,
Micronesia, Paraguay, Papua New Guinea, Palau, Tonga, and Tuvalu.
Palestinian
Authority President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the resolution and called for a
Palestinian state. “The international consensus over this resolution renews the
hopes of our Palestinian people — who are facing a comprehensive aggression and
genocide in Gaza and the West Bank, including Jerusalem — to achieve its
aspirations of freedom and independence and establishing a Palestinian state
with East Jerusalem as its capital,” he said.
The US, which
has provided diplomatic cover for Israel at the UN throughout the genocidal war
in Gaza, criticized the resolution, calling it “one-sided” because it doesn’t
mention Hamas.
“This resolution
will not bring about tangible progress for Palestinians,” said the US mission
to the UN. “In fact, it could both complicate efforts to end the conflict in
Gaza and impede reinvigorating steps toward a two-state solution, while
ignoring Israel’s very real security concerns.”
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