After US vetoes Kuwait resolution at Security Council calling to condemn Israel for use of ‘excessive force’ but failing to mention Hamas, Turkey and Algeria submit similar resolution to General Assembly; US submits amendment condemning Hamas as well, which is expected to fail, thus showing world’s hypocrisy.
The United States has decided to change tactics at the United Nations and instead of merely settling for defending Israel, it is now going on the offensive against countries that refuse to condemn the Hamas terror organization.
The UN General Assembly is expected to vote Wednesday on a similar resolution Kuwait tried to pass earlier this month at the UN Security Council, which condemned Israel for using “excessive force” against the Palestinians and called for a UN protection force to defend Gazans.
Kuwait’s resolution passed at the UN Security Council, but was vetoed by the US. Washington then presented its own resolution calling on the council to condemn Hamas. The resolution failed to pass, but focused the discussion on Hamas’s activities.
The resolution, this time submitted by Turkey and Algeria, is expected to pass thanks to the automatic Muslim majority. While the US has no veto right in the General Assembly as it does at the Security Council, the assembly’s decisions are non-binding.
As they at the Security Council, the Americans once again submitted an amendment to the draft resolution, which includes the condemnation of Hamas for its rocket fire at Israeli communities and the violence along the border.
The General Assembly will first vote on the American amendment, and if it passes, the amended version of the resolution will be brought to a vote.
If the amendment fails to pass, the General Assembly will vote on the original resolution, which makes no mention of Hamas.
US and Israeli diplomats expect many countries to abstain from the vote on the American amendment while voting for the condemnation of Israel in the original resolution, thus showing the world is willing to condemn Israel but not Hamas.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry and embassies around the world are working to convince as many countries as possible not to take part in the vote, or at the very least not to speak at the discussion.
Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon lauded the new American policy. “We commend the American initiative which makes it clear the days Israel was attacked at the UN without a fitting response are over. Countries that refuse to back a resolution condemning Hamas’s terrorism are backing terrorism,” he said.
As reported by Ynetnews