Starmer’s UK abstains on UN Israel resolution – when even the TORIES voted ‘yes’ to a similar one in 2016

The UN general assembly has overwhelmingly voted for Israel to end its occupation of Palestine within a year. The resolution backs July’s order from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for Israel to withdraw from Palestine.

124 states voted in favour, including France and Spain, while 14 voted against including the US and Israel. The UK, Canada, Germany, Italy and Australia were among the 43 countries that abstained.

Israel occupation: “violation of international law”

The resolution affirmed that:

The Israeli settlements, and their associated regime, including the transfer by Israel of settlers to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as well as Israel’s maintenance of their presence, the confiscation or requisitioning of land, the exploitation of natural resources, the extension of Israeli law to occupied territory, the forced displacement of the Palestinian population, and violence by settlers and occupying forces against Palestinians, have been established and are being maintained in violation of international law

The UN motion also supports the ICJ’s finding that Israel is operating an apartheid regime through its discriminatory policies in occupied Palestine:

Israel’s legislation and measures impose and serve to maintain a near-complete separation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, between the settler and Palestinian communities and constitute a breach of article 3 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which refers to two particularly severe forms of racial discrimination and stipulates that “States Parties particularly condemn racial segregation and apartheid and undertake to prevent, prohibit and eradicate all practices of this nature in territories under their jurisdiction”

The general assembly motion follows others like the 2016 security council resolution that stated:

the establishment by Israel of settlements in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, has no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-State solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace

As a member of the security council with veto power, the UK under the Conservatives voted in favour of the 2016 motion. Now the UK under Keir Starmer’s Labour Party has abstained on the general assembly resolution. Given the Tories are considered even more pro-Israel, this is telling.

The UK’s explanation for abstaining says the resolution doesn’t provide “sufficient clarity to effectively advance our shared aim of a peace premised on a negotiated two-state solution”. But through abstaining the UK is effectively supporting Israel’s ongoing further colonial expansion into Palestine.

The resolution calls on states to sanction any products coming from Israelis in occupied Palestine, not to legally recognise in the future a Greater Israel and to avoid legitimising its exploitation of Palestinian natural resources through trade.

There are over 700,000 illegal Israeli settlers in the occupied Palestinian territory of the West Bank. The motion calls not only for Israel to withdraw from the West Bank and Gaza, but to pay reparations to Palestinians.

Featured image via AFP News Agency – YouTube