Global Research

On December 6 the U.S. President declared Jerusalem the capital of Israel and announced the U.S. intention to move its embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. It’s also widely known that Israel’s claim to all of Jerusalem isn’t recognized by the international community or international law. The U.S. ally Great Britain announced it will maintain its embassy in Tel Aviv. Canada’s prime minister announced Canada is keeping its embassy in Tel Aviv, however in its UN General Assembly votes December 7th Canada’s maintained an obtuseness to Palestinian suffering, siding with with the U.S. and Israel.

Since the United Nations Security Council has mandated that no unilateral changes can be made to the status of Jerusalem, the Security Council responded to the U.S. declaration by calling an emergency session December 8th. The U.S. and Israel’s position was not favoured; other countries consider the declaration makes a peace process between Israel and Palestine impossible.

All this is not suppressed news though it can be interpreted as prolonging a genocide warning for Palestinians in the Occupied Territories.

What is unreported by NATO media is that following President Trump’s announcement the UN’s General Assembly on December 7th passed nine draft resolutions assuring some protection to the lives and rights of Palestinians, and with such large majorities in favour of Palestine that the world’s nations have indicated an overwhelming opposition to the U.S. president’s decision. The UN General Assembly may be the closest humankind is able to offer as the voice of humanity.

Attempting to be more specific I’ll try to order a very confusing press release from “UN Meeting Coverage and Press Releases,” where on December 7th among the 38 resolutions and two decisions made by the General Assembly concerning decolonization, these dealt directly with Israel-Palestine.

1. Assistance to Palestine refugees, was adopted, 162 for and 1 (Israel) against, with 12 abstaining. This resolution expresses extreme concern for Palestinian refugees under occupation and the urgent need for reconstruction of Gaza.

2. Persons displaced as a result of the June 1967 and subsequent hostilities, was adopted, 158 in favour, 7 against (Canada, Israel, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, United States) with 10 abstentions. This draft resolution reaffirms the right of displaced persons to go back to their homes and former residences.

3. Operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, was adopted, 162 for to 6 against (Canada, Israel, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, United States) and 7 abstentions. The resolution’s focus on funding was accompanied by concern for the freedom of movement, harassment and intimidation of United Nations (UNWRA) staff.

4. Palestine refugees’ properties and their revenues, was adopted by a vote of 159 to 7 against (Canada, Israel, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, United States) and 9 abstaining. This resolution requests the protection of Arab property, rights and assets.

5. Work of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories, was adopted by a vote of 83 to 10 (Australia, Canada, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, United States) and 77 abstentions. The draft resolution requests continuing investigation of Israeli practices and consultation with the International Committee of the Red Cross to assure human rights protections in the occupied territories.

6. Applicability of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949, to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the other occupied Arab territories, was adopted by 157 to 7 (Canada, Israel, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, United States) with 10 abstentions. This resolution assures applicability of the Geneva Conventions to the Occupied Palestinian Territory (and Arab territories taken over since 1967).

7. Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the occupied Syrian Golan, was adopted by 155 for, 7 against (Canada, Israel, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, United States), and 12 abstaining. It condemns the acts of violence by Israeli settlers in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

8. Israeli practices affecting the human rights of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, was adopted by vote of 153 to 8 (Australia, Canada, Israel, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, United States), with 10 abstentions. The resolution demands Israel stop violating the human rights (including the killing of, injury, arbitrary detention, etc.) of the Palestinian people and to stop all settlement activity.

9. The occupied Syrian Golan, was adopted by a vote of 151 for 2 against (Israel, Palau) and 20 abstaining. The resolution affirms previous UN resolutions and insists on not establishing settlements in the occupied Syrian Golan.

These draft resolutions reveal an ongoing genocidal persecution of the Palestinian people, both the fact of their suffering and humanity’s assessment of a terrible wrong. According to The New York Times,

“In Rome, Pope Francis prayed that Jerusalem’s status be preserved and needless conflict avoided.”

The U.S. has accused the U.N. of a bias against Israel but humanity’s inclination is more positive and compassionate than that.

Sources

“General Assembly Adopts 38 Resolutions, 2 Decisions from Fourth Committee, Including Texts on Decolonization, Israeli-Palestinian Issues,” Dec. 7, 2017, reliefweb & GA/11987 United Nations Meeting Coverage and Press Releases;

“Trudeau rejects Trump approach to Jerusalem, favours ‘two-state solution’,” Steven Chase, Dec. 7, 2017, The Globe and Mail;

“Trump’s Jerusalem move roundly condemned at UN,” Dec. 8, 2017, Al Jazeera;

“U.N., European Union and Pope Criticize Trump’s Jerusalem Announcement,” Jason Horowitz, Dec. 6, 2017, The New York Times.

This article was originally published by Night’s Lantern.