No sanctions on Israel?

The UN Security Council had in December voted in favour of resolution 2334 demanding the halt of settlement activity by Israel on occupied Palestinian territory. The resolution that was passed with the US notably abstaining was also the first the Security Council adopted on Israel and Palestine in nearly eight years. But it once again proves the powerlessness and ineptness of the United Nations in the global politics driven by force.

The resolution said that the Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967 was a "flagrant violation" of international law and therefore had "no legal validity." It’s not the first time the world conscience is recognising Israel’s hostility. However, the resolution too remains merely on paper since there has been no effective actions taken so far by the UN in this regard. The UN had last passed such an overt and firm resolution in 1980. While there were 23, 000 Israeli settlers living in the West Bank then, the number has now surged up to 4 lakh, that too with the resolution already in existence. Israel has rejected the resolution making it a pretext for toppling peace talks. Israeli forces demolished 151 Palestinian homes in the first week of the new year alone; four times the average last year. The world nations should question themselves as to why we are getting continuously humiliated. What’s the benefit of passing resolutions that remains only on paper?

Israel, a Zionist nation that manifests racial discrimination, has already proved that it was a bogus entity that lacks righteousness. At present, the country has a dispensation that mocks international laws. The Zionist nation that was born in conflict and survives on conflict has now made their presence felt in Syrian war as well. It’s when the country has the responsibility to protect the people in the occupied territory, that they destroy homes and build Jewish settlements thereby continuing severe human rights violations. Children are their main victims. Palestine is also the place where the Israeli forces test their new weaponries. Israel’s four arms industries bring in big businesses.

One of the key aims of the Gaza attacks in 2014 was also to text their new war drones. The core of their foreign policies is to spy on other nations. While the Palestinians spend their days in darkness and hunger, the US as well as the others, panders to the wrong influences of the Israeli lobby. The US had provided a financial assistance of 1 crore 2 lakh dollars every day to Israel in 2016. ‘Al Jazeera’ had this week revealed the attempts by an Israeli agent to tarnish British leaders including Minister Alan Duncan who condemned Israel for its illegal settlements. The Israeli ambassador had to apologise for his actions. The reports of Israeli embassy spying against the Scottish National Party have also been revealed. Israeli Prime Minister Nethanyahu who is currently facing a criminal investigation over fraud and bribery claims, uses extreme racism as a weapon for survival. Isn’t ‘Apartheid’ a discrimination that was condemned by the world nations led by the UN which was also made a criminal offense?

In 1973 UN General Assembly described racial discrimination as a crime by pointing towards South Africa. UN Special Rapporteur for Palestine John Dugard in 2007 reported that Israel’s racial intolerance perfectly suited the above definition. He also suggested that the crime of apartheid had to be tried in the international court of justice. The next UN Special Rapporteur Richard Falk confirmed the allegations twice in 2010 and in 2011 citing Israel’s war crimes and genocides.

Hence, the right stand is to impose stringent sanctions against the Zionist nation of Israel to discipline it similar to the stance taken in the case of South Africa, by the UN. Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement has been gaining acceptance among the world nations and societies. However, the UN isn’t ready to isolate Israel in the name of ‘settlement’ crimes or racial discrimination (Hafrada). This approach is illogical, illegal and unethical. As an extension of the adopted resolution against Israeli settlements, the UN should be taking steps including sanctions against Israel. UN which uprooted apartheid in South Africa has an equal responsibility in this case as well.