Something extraordinary took place within the walls of the UN: the US was the only member to veto a UN Security Council resolution providing for an ‘immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire’ in the Gaza Strip.
The inexplicable move of the US
Many in the world regarded such a US move as being inexplicable, given the ongoing humanitarian disaster that Israel has caused in the Gaza Strip. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, more than 44,000 people, mostly civilians, have died as a result of Israeli attacks to date, in addition to countless missing peoples under the rubble of their homes and many injured and maimed for life. Almost all Gazans, which is more than 2 million people, have been forced to leave their homes, some more than once since the start of the war last year.
The US veto is a dangerous step, because the Israeli authorities will surely perceive it as a green light to continue their offensive and destroy the Palestinians. Thus, this can be regarded not only as complicity in the atrocities committed by Israel, but also as the US’ clear acceptance of the destruction of the Palestinians.
The arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court provided additional evidence of the crimes committed by Israel. The Pre-Trial Chamber of the court unanimously agreed to issue arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant “for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least October 8, 2023 to May 20, 2024, when the prosecution filed petitions for arrest warrants”. Given the irrefutable evidence of Israel’s criminal behaviour, the US administration is undoubtedly an accomplice to these crimes, if not an active partner. The responsibility of the US is even greater when considering the fact that it continues to supply Israel with the most advanced weapons in increasing quantities, helping to commit these crimes.
In addition to the warrants of the International Criminal Court relating to war crimes and crimes against humanity, there is increasing evidence of a genocide of the Palestinians, for which the US administration is also responsible, as it failed to stop it and, moreover, provided Israel with the necessary means for its barbaric implementation. The International Court of Justice of the United Nations has also considered this issue and already in January declared that there is a plausible case of genocide. Since then, more evidence has emerged and experts have spoken convincingly in support of this.
Condemnation of the US and Israel
Amos Goldberg, an expert in the field of genocide and a professor of Holocaust history at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, argues that Israel is actually committing the crime of genocide. In April, he wrote a scathing article titled ‘Yes, it is genocide’ in Hebrew in an Israeli news outlet. “Although it is so difficult and painful to admit – and despite all attempts to think otherwise – after six months of brutal war, it is no longer possible to avoid coming to such a conclusion…What is happening in Gaza is a genocide, because the level and scale of indiscriminate killings, destruction, mass expulsions, displacement, starvation, executions, destruction of cultural and religious institutions, suppression of elites (including the killing of journalists) and widespread dehumanisation of Palestinians create an overall picture of genocide, the deliberate destruction of the Palestinian population in Gaza”, he wrote. Goldberg, who is an Israeli, wrote this more than six months ago. Since then, the crimes he described have become even more obvious and devastating.
Aryeh Neier, America’s most famous defender of human rights and civil liberties, concluded that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians, citing the fact that, since the beginning of the war, it has been preventing the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Born in Nazi Germany in 1937, Neier survived the Holocaust and is the author of important works on human rights. Neier devoted his life to the protection of human rights, including the prevention of genocide and the prosecution of human rights violators. He was the head of the American Civil Liberties Union, the largest civil rights organisation in the United States. In 1978, he co-founded Human Rights Watch, a human rights advocacy organisation. He also played an important role in the establishment of the International Criminal Court in 2002.
First in an article published in the New York Review of Books in June and then in several interviews with media outlets, Neier stated that he came to this conclusion based on irrefutable evidence of Israel’s involvement in the genocide. Goldberg and Neier’s conclusions were supported by extensive evidence provided by international organisations operating in Gaza.
Article IV of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide obliges all states to take measures to prevent, suppress and punish the crime of genocide, including by punishing the perpetrators, ‘regardless of whether they are constitutionally responsible for genocide by rulers, public officials or private individuals’. This obligation is imposed on states if there is sufficient evidence of the crime of genocide and does not require a final conclusion from the International Court of Justice, which has already established a case of probable genocide. The decision of the International Criminal Court, reports of international organisations on this matter and expert opinions all point to the same conclusion.
The US hardliner, self-defeating stance
In the face of such serious accusations, the United States should at least allow the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution calling for a ceasefire, which is a minimal request, given the scale of Israeli atrocities committed against Gazans. Since the beginning of the conflict, the United States has used the veto several times to protect Israel from judgement. Reacting to Wednesday’s veto, Human Rights Watch said: “The United States has once again used the veto to ensure impunity for Israel while its troops continue to commit crimes against Palestinians in Gaza”. Many countries supported this statement and sharply criticised the US veto.
Besides the fact that the decision to block the UN vote will allow Israel to continue violating human rights in Gaza, it will further damage the reputation of the United States in the region, as it will further prove the blind support for Israel’s brutal war, undermining the remnants of American goodwill and support in the region and around the world. It also weakens US attempts to promote human rights and the rule of international law in other parts of the world. In other words, the enormous damage to the United States caused Biden administration cannot be outdone by anybody else. What will the future Trump administration do? Will it protect the interests of its country or will it also fall under the influence of Israel and Netanyahu?
Viktor Mikhin, corresponding member of RANS