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UN Rejects Trump’s Annexation Scheme?
By Stephen Lendman
Global Research, February 03, 2020

Url of this article:
https://www.globalresearch.ca/un-rejects-trump-annexation-scheme/5702600
UN Assembly

Pronouncements are one thing, policies another. Ignore what politicians say. Follow only what they do.

The same goes for UN officials, notably the secretary general, installed by the US to serve its interests. 

Most often, current incumbent Antonio Guterres and his predecessors failed to fulfill the mandate they were sworn to uphold:

It’s “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war; to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights; to establish conditions (promoting) justice…equal rights of men and women (in all nations and respect for) international law (and) social progress…to ensure…armed force shall not be used.”

Guterres and most of his predecessor turned a blind eye to the highest of high crimes of war and against humanity committed by the US, NATO, and Israel.

They failed to condemn US human rights abuses and war by other means (economic terrorism) against Iran, Venezuela, North Korea, Cuba and other countries.

They did nothing to support world peace and stability, nothing for Palestinian rights or other victims of US/NATO/Israeli aggression — operating instead as loyal servants of Western interests.

UN secretaries general aren’t usually made of the kind of mettle that extends beyond their willingness to serve the interests of the dominant country that largely runs the world body — the Security Council an exception because of veto power by its five permanent members.

In most other respects, the UN is largely a wholly owned subsidiary of the nation where it’s been headquartered on Manhattan’s east side since 1952.

No candidate becomes secretary general without passing a US vetting process to assure willingness of body’s top official to support its agenda.

A little wiggle-room is allowed provided it doesn’t exceed the limits of the boss’ tolerance.

Guterres, Ban Ki-moon, Kofi Annan and others were appointed because they agreed to play by US rules — world’s apart from UN Charter principles.

They’re silent about countless millions of post-9/11 casualties alone — because of the US war OF terror, not on it, the human toll mounting daily, the rule of law ignored to pursue its imperial interests.

Guterres earlier criticized Syrian forces instead of supporting their liberating struggle against US aggression.

He’s been largely silent about flagrant US-led breaches of Security Council Res. 2254 — calling for ceasefire and diplomatic resolution of endless (US launched) war in Syria.

He failed to condemn Israeli apartheid viciousness, its illegal militarized occupation, theft of Palestinian land, dispossession of its lawful owners, and oppressive Gaza blockade, suffocating its defenseless people.

Calling Israel a “democratic” state  defied reality on the ground.

Rejecting Trump’s annexation scheme of the century through his spokesman was his latest hollow gesture, saying:

“The position of the United Nations on the two-state solution has been defined, throughout the years, by relevant Security Council and General Assembly resolutions by which the Secretariat is bound,” adding:

“The United Nations remains committed to supporting Palestinians and Israelis in resolving the conflict on the basis of United Nations resolutions, international law, and bilateral agreements and realizing the vision of two States – Israel and Palestine – living side by side in peace and security within recognized borders, on the basis of the pre-1967 lines.”

Before the above statement was issued, Guterres ducked a question from a reporter on this issue, not answering and walking away — showing where he really stands, proved by his actions time and again.

He failed to denounce Israel’s racist 2018 Nation-State Law. Enacted into its Basic Law, the equivalent of US constitutional law, it was condemned by Adalah Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel director Hassan Jabareen, saying:

It’s “illegitimate as it establishes a colonial regime with distinct apartheid characteristics in that it seeks to maintain a regime in which one ethnic-national group controls an indigenous-national group living in the same territory while advancing ethnic superiority by promoting racist policies in the most basic aspects of life.”

It officially calls Jewish rights “superior” to those of Israeli Arab citizens.

Separately, Adalah said “(n)o country in the world today is defined as a democratic state where the constitutional identity is determined by ethnic affiliation that overrides the principle of equal citizenship.”

Enacting the measure illegitimately enshrined Jewish supremacy over equal rights for Arab citizens into Israeli Basic Law – what apartheid is all about, supported by Guterres for failing to condemn the outrageous law.

Former UN Special Human Rights Rapporteur for Occupied Palestine Richard Falk earlier minced no words, saying:

“Israel is guilty of the crime of apartheid in relation to the Palestine people should be taken with the utmost seriousness by all those who affirm human solidarity and care about making visible the long ordeal of a suffering and vulnerable people.”

Article 7(1)(j) of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court calls apartheid a “crime against humanity.”

When enacted into Israeli Basic Law, Guterres issued the following unacceptable statement through his spokesman, saying:

“We reaffirm the United Nations’ respect for the sovereignty of states to define their constitutional character while emphasizing the need for all states to adhere to universal human rights principles, including the protection of minority rights” – notions he pays lip service to alone.

In response to repeated Israeli attacks on illegally blockaded Gaza, he shamefully said the following earlier:

“I am gravely concerned over the dangerous escalation of violence in Gaza and southern Israel.”

“It is imperative that all sides urgently step back from the brink of another devastating conflict.”

“I call on Hamas and other Palestinian militants to cease the launching of rockets and incendiary kites and provocations.”

They’re launched in response to Israeli provocations, self-defense permitted under the UN Charter Guterres ignored, tepidly adding at the time:

We urge Israel to “exercise restraint to avoid further inflaming the situation.”

Time and again, Guterres, like most of his predecessors, failed to use his bully pulpit power to challenge, denounce, and demand accountability for high crimes committed by the US, NATO, Israel, and their imperial allies.

Palestinians are on their own, resistance against a brutal occupier their only viable option — liberation one day possible but only through longterm struggle.

The alternative is endless subjugation, their fundamental rights denied, their lives threatened, their futures empty.

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Award-winning author Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at [email protected]. He is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG)

His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.

Disclaimer: The contents of this article are of sole responsibility of the author(s). The Centre for Research on Globalization will not be responsible for any inaccurate or incorrect statement in this article.