Misusing its veto power, the United States has been scuttling efforts of the civilized world to stop genocide of Palestinians at the hands of Israeli forces but the international community expressed its will clearly when the UN General Assembly passed a resolution with overwhelming support of the member states calling immediate humanitarian ceasefire. Tuesday’s resolution was passed with 153 countries voting in favour, 23 abstaining and just 10 including aggressor Israel, its backer the United States and eight others voting against it. As against the resolutions of the Security Council, the UNGA resolution is non-binding but the very fact that over two-third of the total membership of 193 demanded a ceasefire reflected the world opinion on the conflict and highlighted the fact that the Jewish State and Washington face growing diplomatic isolation.
Diplomatic observers point out that the vote is also an indication that the world community is rallying behind the new super power of the world – China – which stands for a just international order, amicable resolution of conflicts and peaceful co-existence. It is because of the pragmatic and just position adopted by China that the leadership of the globe is now effectively in the hands of Beijing on the issue and the United States is increasingly being viewed as a party to the conflict and a collaborator in the daily carnage in Gaza. Diplomatic isolation of the United States and Israel was also highlighted by the reality that the Tuesday’s vote count showed much higher support than an October 27 Arab-sponsored resolution that called for a “humanitarian truce”. At that time, 121 countries voted in favour, 14 against, and 44 abstained – both opposition and abstentions have come down significantly. The Assembly also rejected amendments introduced by the United States and Austria to the resolution seeking to condemn October 07 attack by Hamas and its act of taking hostages.
As the US position was severely dented for vetoing a similar resolution in the Security Council and opposing the UNGA’s resolution passed with overwhelming support, US President Joe Biden tried to do damage control by warning Israel it was losing international support because of its “indiscriminate” bombing of civilians in its war against Hamas fighters. Biden also remarked that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu needed to change his hard-line government and that ultimately Israel “can’t say no” to an independent Palestinian state – something that Israeli hardliners oppose. This subtle change of mind is taking place mainly because of the principled-based position of China on the issue of Palestine and emergence of Beijing as a trust-worthy peace broker as confirmed by the role it played in mitigating tension between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Iran, a development that took the global diplomatic circles by surprise.
In fact, China has a clear and principled position on the current Palestinian-Israeli dispute, which has been enunciated by President Xi Jinping on a number of occasions. China’s stand, rooted in UN Charter and international law, has, therefore, found favour and support not just among Palestinians and the Arab world but also just-minded members of the international community as well. China stresses the need for an immediate ceasefire and ending the fighting, ensuring that the humanitarian corridors are safe and unimpeded, and preventing the expansion of the conflict. President Xi has repeatedly underlined that the fundamental way out of this lies in the two-state solution, building international consensus for peace, and working toward a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian question at an early date.
China, which has a track record of championing the cause of peace and security in all regions of the globe, has not confined itself to mere expression of support for these lofty goals but offered a 5-point proposal to ensure durable peace in the Middle-East.
Realizing the inherent dangers to the security of Palestinians in the ongoing conflict, China wants implementation of a comprehensive ceasefire. It wants that in line with resolution 2712, the UN Security Council should explicitly demand a comprehensive ceasefire and an end of the fighting, work for de-escalation of the conflict, and cool down the situation as soon as possible.
China’s second proposal relates to protection of lives of civilians. It is imperative to stop any violent attacks against civilians and violations of international humanitarian law, and avoid attacks on civilian facilities. The Security Council should further send a clear message on opposing forced transfer of the Palestinian civilian population, preventing the displacement of Palestinian civilians, and calling for the release of all civilians and hostages held captive as soon as possible. This is important in view of consistent and credible reports that Israel, in collusion with its backers, is trying to push the civilian population out of their ancestral homes in Gaza, a plan that has also alerted the UN Secretary-General.
As a grave humanitarian tragedy is unfolding in Gaza in the backdrop of widespread destruction of homes, infrastructure, means of livelihood, annihilation of medical and educational institutions, bombing of refugee camps and shortage of food and medicines, China wants urgent measures to ensure humanitarian supplies in besieged territory. It proposes establishment of humanitarian corridors in Gaza to enable rapid, safe and unhindered and sustainable humanitarian access to avoid a humanitarian disaster of even greater magnitude. The proposal envisages the UN agencies and system to play a lead role in this regard.
The fourth proposal seeks enhanced diplomatic mediation spearheaded by the United Nations. The Security Council should leverage its role in facilitating peace as mandated in the UN Charter to demand that parties to the conflict exercise restraint to prevent the conflict from widening and uphold peace and stability in the Middle East.
As durable peace is not possible without a permanent political settlement of the conflict, China has proposed that according to relevant UNSC resolutions and international consensus, the fundamental settlement of the question of Palestine lies in the implementation of the two-state solution, restoration of the legitimate national rights of Palestine, and the establishment of an independent State of Palestine that enjoys full sovereignty based on the 1967 border and with east Jerusalem as its capital. A more broad-based, authoritative and effective international peace conference led and organized by the UN should be held as soon as possible to formulate a concrete timetable and roadmap for the implementation of the two-state solution and facilitate a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the question of Palestine.
Mindful of the Zionist designs in Gaza, China has sensitized the world community that any arrangement on the future of Gaza must respect the will and independent choice of the Palestinian people, and must not be imposed upon them.
In fact, the China proposal sum up the consensus among the just-minded members of the international community, as enunciated from time-to-time, for addressing the Middle-East conflict on an equitable and fair manner. History of the conflict bears testimony to the fact that the goal of peace and security cannot be achieved through ghastly bombing and ethnic cleansing as has become a policy tool in the hands of the Jewish state. The UN and the world community must build on the proposals floated by China that have the potential to help restore genuine peace and security in the volatile region.
It is beyond imagination to expect that Palestinians would ever be able to rebuilt and reconstruct the damaged infrastructure and homes on their own. Therefore, an international conference should be held immediately after permanent truce to commit financial and economic pledges by the world community to undertake this gigantic task.
