this post was submitted on 18 Sep 2024
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The United Nations General Assembly voted 124-14 on Wednesday to strip Israel of the right to self-defense in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem.

The test of the resolution was based on the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion in July that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory was illegal.

The resolution also calls on member states not to sell arms or military equipment to Israel that would be used in Gaza, the West Bank, and east Jerusalem.

Among the 43 countries that abstained were Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. Some 12 of the 27 European Union countries abstained, including Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Sweden.

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[–] ChaoticNeutralCzech@feddit.org 131 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (4 children)

Why list a select 15 abstainers in the summary rather than the 14 voting against? Besides the obvious ones (Israel, US, Czechia), there's Hungary, Argentina, Paraguay, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Palau, Nauru, Malawi, Tuvalu, Tonga and Micronesia.

[–] sparky@lemmy.federate.cc 22 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Why do all the Polynesian countries support Israel so strongly?

[–] PolandIsAStateOfMind@lemmy.ml 37 points 2 months ago

They nearly always follow USA in voting, so Israel gets supported indirectly.

[–] interdimensionalmeme@lemmy.ml 19 points 2 months ago

Cheap votes to buy or bully. Simply too poor to afford a conscience.

[–] Eiim@lemmy.blahaj.zone 13 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

The COFA states are very strongly aligned with the US and pretty much always vote with them. I don't know much about, say, Tonga, but I'm guessing it's a way of signaling cooperation to the US as well.

[–] Linkerbaan@lemmy.world 16 points 2 months ago (6 children)

Besides the obvious Genocide Joe administration countries like Palau, Tuvalu, and Micronesia do not evoke much significance.

Rather I found listing the more mainstream countries still silently supporting israel and refusing to condemn their obvious violation of international law more interesting.

On closer consideration Hungary might be of relevance, since they are allegedly responsible for the recent israeli supply chain terror attack on Lebanon.

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[–] glaber@lemm.ee 15 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] ChaoticNeutralCzech@feddit.org 20 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

It is possible none of us will live to see Czechia vote against the interest of Israel as all parties support it and there is pretty much no organized pro-Palestine movement. Israel says we're their top partners in the eastern hemisphere, which means a lot because most countries are in the eastern hemisphere, including itself. At least, aid toward them is not nearly as popular among politicians and citizens as for Ukraine (we have a sizable, well-behaved Ukrainian minority already and took the most refugees per capita at the height of the crisis).

As for why pretty much every politician is either oblivious or bootlicking Israel: see my comment under a post about the shredder escapade 4 months ago

[–] glaber@lemm.ee 10 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Thank you for the explanation! Such a shame that anti-Zionism is so often conflated with antisemitism

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[–] PowerCrazy@lemmy.ml 62 points 2 months ago (1 children)

"Rights" can only be taken away by force, if there is no method to ensure compliance, this is yet another meaningless resolution.

[–] scutiger@lemmy.world 83 points 2 months ago (6 children)

The UN is a diplomatic organization. It is a forum to discuss things and literally has no actual means to enforce anything. Its goal is not enforcement, it's to discuss.

[–] alvvayson@lemmy.dbzer0.com 53 points 2 months ago (7 children)

Exactly. Every time the UN does something, people say "they can't enforce it".

Well, that's the whole point of the UN. To resolve things without using force.

It's a good design, designed by people who learned from the horrors of WW2.

It's sad to see how many people nowadays forget those lessons and are itching for global war.

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[–] filister@lemmy.world 46 points 2 months ago

And prevent such global wars like WWII. Funnily enough, the state of Israel was funded exactly by an UN resolution, and now Israel is trying to discredit the same institution that's responsible for the existence of their state.

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[–] Nytefyre@kbin.melroy.org 53 points 2 months ago (2 children)

It stopped being about self-defense, if anyone ever bothered trailing what Israel had been doing.

But, go watch the prime minister declare everyone anti-semantic anyways over this.

[–] erenkoylu@lemmy.ml 13 points 2 months ago

It was never about self defence.

Ever since 1948, Israel has been systematically killing everyone in their 'promised land'.

[–] Asafum@feddit.nl 9 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Honestly it would be an open and shut case here in the US.

My neighbor throws grenades into my window, me running into their house with my friends and shooting everyone there who looks like they might have had a grenade is not self-defense...

[–] driving_crooner@lemmy.eco.br 27 points 2 months ago

More like, im occupying my neighbor house while having him locked on the basement, he throws a rock at me and I'm just go around killing everyone I see.

[–] HowMany@lemmy.ml 51 points 2 months ago

It's not self defense when they're the ones attacking.

[–] grrgyle@slrpnk.net 47 points 2 months ago (10 children)

Ashamed that my country abstained here

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[–] LarmyOfLone@lemm.ee 30 points 2 months ago (1 children)

The headline is genocide apologia and should be banned.

[–] Allero@lemmy.today 24 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

The entire article is utter apologetic trash, doing its absolute best to show how unpopular this decision is (despite being hugely popular) and focusing on "Hamas terrorism concerns" without any consideration at all given to Palestinians.

[–] wheelsbot@lemm.ee 27 points 2 months ago

Israel is illegally occupying Palestine. The violence they commit is the furthest possible thing from self defense.

[–] theacharnian@lemmy.ca 23 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (4 children)

What a shitty title and crappy biased article. That's not what the resolution was about.

Here's the Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/09/19/un-resolution-israel-palestinian-territory-countries-vote/

U.N. General Assembly demands Israel end occupation of Palestinian territory The nonbinding resolution says Israel must end its “unlawful presence” within a year, pull out military forces, halt settlement expansion and evacuate settlers.

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[–] Jollyllama@lemmy.world 23 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Is this just symbolic? Does it levy any penalties for not complying?

[–] Eiim@lemmy.blahaj.zone 35 points 2 months ago

The resolution has declaratory power only but provides international backing to those countries that want to take additional steps against Israel.

[–] PanArab@lemmy.ml 21 points 2 months ago

They never had that right to begin with. A foreign military force has no right to self defense from the occupied people.

[–] Enkrod@feddit.org 20 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Germany abstaining is actually a big deal.

The defense of Israel is one of our "Reason of State" and not voting in favour of Israel is a serious signal that politicians are fed up with Netanyahus bullshit.

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[–] erenkoylu@lemmy.ml 19 points 2 months ago (15 children)

We need to expel Israel from the UN. These religious fanatics have no place in the civilized world.

[–] PonyOfWar@pawb.social 33 points 2 months ago (4 children)

Removing a country from the UN for doing horrible things would defeat the UN's entire purpose.

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[–] Allero@lemmy.today 12 points 2 months ago

Part of any international sanctions is to leave something for the perpetrator to lose.

Otherwise, they can do literally everything without any further consequences whatsoever - it won't get worse for them.

Also, as rightfully mentioned, part of UN's goal is restoring peace between nations, which is harder to do when they are not members. That's the problem with Palestine, and it will get worse if Israel leaves too.

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[–] rottingleaf@lemmy.world 14 points 2 months ago (5 children)

And nobody will obey that decision.

ICJ has made some rulings about Artsakh too. Should have been not so hard to sanction the beheading savages out of occupying a small country and expelling its residents. By the way, in the UN charter a "country" does not only refer to UN members, that distinction is intentionally made clear in a few places.

UN is less useful than Holy Roman Empire.

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