US comes to Israel’s aid and blocks China-led Security Council initiative to issue statement on Gaza violence

[beijingwalker]

US comes to Israel’s aid and blocks China-led Security Council initiative to issue statement on Gaza violence​

Biden administration again comes to Israel’s aid at UN after lobbying from Jerusalem, which expressed fear that missive would draw equivalency between Israel and Islamic Jihad​

By JACOB MAGID 11 May 2023, 11:52 pm

The United States blocked an effort led by China for the United Nations Security Council to issue a joint statement expressing alarm over the ongoing Gaza escalation, a senior Israeli official told The Times of Israel on Thursday.

China sought to lobby support for the communique, which would have condemned both the rocket fire from Gaza directed at Israeli civilians and the Israeli airstrikes across the coastal enclave that began Tuesday morning, as the IDF launched Operation Shield and Arrow against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group, the senior official said.

China aimed for the joint statement — a symbolic step that holds less weight than a binding resolution but that still requires unanimous support of all 15 members — to be issued upon conclusion of an emergency meeting that it called on Wednesday to discuss the latest round of violence between Israelis and Palestinians.

While Beijing won the support of Russia along with France and the United Arab Emirates, which had also requested Wednesday’s closed-door meeting, the US informed members that it would not back the measure, effectively burying it.

Israel had lobbied the US and other Security Council members to block the move, fearing that the joint statement would draw an equivalency between Israel and PIJ, the senior official explained.

Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan told Army Radio on Thursday, “We succeeded in blocking condemnation of Israel with the help of the US, with whom we worked in conjunction.”

“The US, together with the UK, conveyed [to us] that they would not allow a statement,” he added.

The Biden administration has consistently come to Israel’s defense at the Security Council, blocking the panel from issuing statements or passing resolutions on Israeli-Palestinian flareups in over half a dozen instances, including several times during the May 2021 Gaza war. Washington has argued that the UN is not the proper body to adjudicate the conflict.

One apparent exception to that stance came in February when the US helped the Security Council adopt a joint statement blasting the Israeli government for a decision to legalize nine West Bank outposts and advance plans for nearly 10,000 new settlement homes. Still, this move came after the US blocked the top UN panel from passing a binding resolution against Israel.

As in previous rounds of violence between Israel and terror groups in Gaza, the Biden administration has worked quietly to restore calm.

During the 11-day war in May 2021, initial statements from the Biden administration focused solely on expressing backing for Israel’s right to self-defense, giving Jerusalem cover to continue striking targets in Gaza. It took several days before US statements began including more overt calls for de-escalation and a ceasefire.

This time though, such rhetoric was employed after just one day of fighting.

In the White House readout from US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan’s call with his Israeli counterpart Tzachi Hanegbi, the former “reaffirmed the administration’s ironclad support for Israel’s security, as well as its right to defend its people from indiscriminate rocket attacks.

“Sullivan also noted continued regional efforts to broker a ceasefire, and emphasized the need to deescalate tensions and prevent further loss of life,” the statement said.

US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides echoed the sentiment on Thursday, tweeting that he was “concerned about the continuing rocket launches today. We stand by Israel’s right to defend itself. Working towards a quick de-escalation.”

Wednesday was the fourth time the Security Council convened an emergency session to discuss the escalations in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since the establishment of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hardline government on December 29. During that period, the UN panel has also held four of its mandated monthly meetings on the conflict, which both Jerusalem and Washington have argued demonstrates the council’s disproportionate focus on Israel.

In light of the decision by the US to block a joint statement, Security Council members at the Wednesday meeting sufficed with receiving a briefing on the developments in Gaza from the UN’s Mideast envoy Tor Wennesland before ambassadors had the opportunity to present the positions of their respective capitals on the violence. Envoys were unanimous in their calls for the parties to de-escalate, while most were particularly critical of the civilian casualties caused by the Israeli airstrikes on PIJ operatives, a UN diplomat for a country at the meeting told The Times of Israel.

Also on Wednesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a statement expressing his “deep concern” over the Gaza developments.

“The Secretary-General condemns the civilian loss of life, including that of children and women, which he views as unacceptable and must stop immediately,” said a statement on Guterres’s behalf. “Israel must abide by its obligations under international humanitarian law, including the proportional use of force and taking all feasible precautions to spare civilians and civilian objects in the conduct of military operations.

“The Secretary-General also condemns the indiscriminate launching of rockets from Gaza into Israel, which violates international humanitarian law and puts at risk both Palestinian and Israeli civilians,” the statement added, calling on both parties to “exercise maximum restraint and to work to stop hostilities immediately.”

On Thursday, the UN’s Human Rights Office issued its own statement expressing “alarm” over the Gaza fighting.

“We are concerned about whether the IDF took sufficient precautions to avoid, and in any event to minimize, loss of civilian life, injury to civilians and damage to civilian objects,” the statement said, also condemning “indiscriminate” Palestinian rocket fire at Israel.

Operation Shield and Arrow commenced with a series of near-simultaneous IDF airstrikes that eliminated three of PIJ’s most senior commanders in response to the terror group’s launching of over 100 rockets at Israel last week. Ten Palestinian civilians were killed in those initial Tuesday strikes, including four children.

Islamic Jihad has since fired over 800 projectiles at Israel, including one rocket that struck an apartment building in the central town of Rehovot on Thursday, killing one and injuring five others.

The IDF in response has struck 191 PIJ targets throughout the Strip, intentionally avoiding sites belonging to the Gaza-ruling Hamas, which it says has thus far avoided actively joining the fighting.

The Hamas-run health ministry in the Gaza Strip said Thursday night that the death toll from the latest round of fighting stood at 29, with roughly half believed to have been civilians. Israel says some civilians died as a result of Palestinian rocket misfires.

At least 93 were wounded in the three days of fighting, the ministry said. Although its figures did not differentiate between those injured or killed by Israeli airstrikes and those injured or killed by Islamic Jihad rocket misfires.

US blocks China-led Security Council initiative to issue statement on Gaza violence - The Times of Israel

Biden administration again comes to Israel's aid at UN after lobbying from Jerusalem, which expressed fear that missive would draw equivalency between Israel and Islamic Jihad

www.timesofisrael.com

 

[Dual Wielder]

Good on China, flock the US!

 

[PradoTLC]

US comes to Israel’s aid and blocks China-led Security Council initiative to issue statement on Gaza violence​

Biden administration again comes to Israel’s aid at UN after lobbying from Jerusalem, which expressed fear that missive would draw equivalency between Israel and Islamic Jihad​

By JACOB MAGID 11 May 2023, 11:52 pm

The United States blocked an effort led by China for the United Nations Security Council to issue a joint statement expressing alarm over the ongoing Gaza escalation, a senior Israeli official told The Times of Israel on Thursday.

China sought to lobby support for the communique, which would have condemned both the rocket fire from Gaza directed at Israeli civilians and the Israeli airstrikes across the coastal enclave that began Tuesday morning, as the IDF launched Operation Shield and Arrow against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group, the senior official said.

China aimed for the joint statement — a symbolic step that holds less weight than a binding resolution but that still requires unanimous support of all 15 members — to be issued upon conclusion of an emergency meeting that it called on Wednesday to discuss the latest round of violence between Israelis and Palestinians.

While Beijing won the support of Russia along with France and the United Arab Emirates, which had also requested Wednesday’s closed-door meeting, the US informed members that it would not back the measure, effectively burying it.

Israel had lobbied the US and other Security Council members to block the move, fearing that the joint statement would draw an equivalency between Israel and PIJ, the senior official explained.

Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan told Army Radio on Thursday, “We succeeded in blocking condemnation of Israel with the help of the US, with whom we worked in conjunction.”

“The US, together with the UK, conveyed [to us] that they would not allow a statement,” he added.

The Biden administration has consistently come to Israel’s defense at the Security Council, blocking the panel from issuing statements or passing resolutions on Israeli-Palestinian flareups in over half a dozen instances, including several times during the May 2021 Gaza war. Washington has argued that the UN is not the proper body to adjudicate the conflict.

One apparent exception to that stance came in February when the US helped the Security Council adopt a joint statement blasting the Israeli government for a decision to legalize nine West Bank outposts and advance plans for nearly 10,000 new settlement homes. Still, this move came after the US blocked the top UN panel from passing a binding resolution against Israel.

As in previous rounds of violence between Israel and terror groups in Gaza, the Biden administration has worked quietly to restore calm.

During the 11-day war in May 2021, initial statements from the Biden administration focused solely on expressing backing for Israel’s right to self-defense, giving Jerusalem cover to continue striking targets in Gaza. It took several days before US statements began including more overt calls for de-escalation and a ceasefire.

This time though, such rhetoric was employed after just one day of fighting.

In the White House readout from US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan’s call with his Israeli counterpart Tzachi Hanegbi, the former “reaffirmed the administration’s ironclad support for Israel’s security, as well as its right to defend its people from indiscriminate rocket attacks.

“Sullivan also noted continued regional efforts to broker a ceasefire, and emphasized the need to deescalate tensions and prevent further loss of life,” the statement said.

US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides echoed the sentiment on Thursday, tweeting that he was “concerned about the continuing rocket launches today. We stand by Israel’s right to defend itself. Working towards a quick de-escalation.”

Wednesday was the fourth time the Security Council convened an emergency session to discuss the escalations in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since the establishment of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hardline government on December 29. During that period, the UN panel has also held four of its mandated monthly meetings on the conflict, which both Jerusalem and Washington have argued demonstrates the council’s disproportionate focus on Israel.

In light of the decision by the US to block a joint statement, Security Council members at the Wednesday meeting sufficed with receiving a briefing on the developments in Gaza from the UN’s Mideast envoy Tor Wennesland before ambassadors had the opportunity to present the positions of their respective capitals on the violence. Envoys were unanimous in their calls for the parties to de-escalate, while most were particularly critical of the civilian casualties caused by the Israeli airstrikes on PIJ operatives, a UN diplomat for a country at the meeting told The Times of Israel.

Also on Wednesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a statement expressing his “deep concern” over the Gaza developments.

“The Secretary-General condemns the civilian loss of life, including that of children and women, which he views as unacceptable and must stop immediately,” said a statement on Guterres’s behalf. “Israel must abide by its obligations under international humanitarian law, including the proportional use of force and taking all feasible precautions to spare civilians and civilian objects in the conduct of military operations.

“The Secretary-General also condemns the indiscriminate launching of rockets from Gaza into Israel, which violates international humanitarian law and puts at risk both Palestinian and Israeli civilians,” the statement added, calling on both parties to “exercise maximum restraint and to work to stop hostilities immediately.”

On Thursday, the UN’s Human Rights Office issued its own statement expressing “alarm” over the Gaza fighting.

“We are concerned about whether the IDF took sufficient precautions to avoid, and in any event to minimize, loss of civilian life, injury to civilians and damage to civilian objects,” the statement said, also condemning “indiscriminate” Palestinian rocket fire at Israel.

Operation Shield and Arrow commenced with a series of near-simultaneous IDF airstrikes that eliminated three of PIJ’s most senior commanders in response to the terror group’s launching of over 100 rockets at Israel last week. Ten Palestinian civilians were killed in those initial Tuesday strikes, including four children.

Islamic Jihad has since fired over 800 projectiles at Israel, including one rocket that struck an apartment building in the central town of Rehovot on Thursday, killing one and injuring five others.

The IDF in response has struck 191 PIJ targets throughout the Strip, intentionally avoiding sites belonging to the Gaza-ruling Hamas, which it says has thus far avoided actively joining the fighting.

The Hamas-run health ministry in the Gaza Strip said Thursday night that the death toll from the latest round of fighting stood at 29, with roughly half believed to have been civilians. Israel says some civilians died as a result of Palestinian rocket misfires.

At least 93 were wounded in the three days of fighting, the ministry said. Although its figures did not differentiate between those injured or killed by Israeli airstrikes and those injured or killed by Islamic Jihad rocket misfires.

US blocks China-led Security Council initiative to issue statement on Gaza violence - The Times of Israel

Biden administration again comes to Israel's aid at UN after lobbying from Jerusalem, which expressed fear that missive would draw equivalency between Israel and Islamic Jihad

www.timesofisrael.com

USA is servant of Israel

 

[Gaomayaslayer]

USA is an evil empire that must be balkanised for the sake of world peace.

 

[PakFactor]

Then the U.S. wonder's why, like an autistic child, the Islamic World is cheering on Russia and others.
But, eventually, you reap what you sow.

 

[Muji.Iqbal]

Then the U.S. wonder's why, like an autistic child, the Islamic World is cheering on Russia and others.
But, eventually, you reap what you sow.

Yeah, exactly then Americans ask why do Muslim countries see China, Russia, Japan, and Brazil so favourably.

US comes to Israel’s aid and blocks China-led Security Council initiative to issue statement on Gaza violence​

Biden administration again comes to Israel’s aid at UN after lobbying from Jerusalem, which expressed fear that missive would draw equivalency between Israel and Islamic Jihad​

By JACOB MAGID 11 May 2023, 11:52 pm

The United States blocked an effort led by China for the United Nations Security Council to issue a joint statement expressing alarm over the ongoing Gaza escalation, a senior Israeli official told The Times of Israel on Thursday.

China sought to lobby support for the communique, which would have condemned both the rocket fire from Gaza directed at Israeli civilians and the Israeli airstrikes across the coastal enclave that began Tuesday morning, as the IDF launched Operation Shield and Arrow against the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror group, the senior official said.

China aimed for the joint statement — a symbolic step that holds less weight than a binding resolution but that still requires unanimous support of all 15 members — to be issued upon conclusion of an emergency meeting that it called on Wednesday to discuss the latest round of violence between Israelis and Palestinians.

While Beijing won the support of Russia along with France and the United Arab Emirates, which had also requested Wednesday’s closed-door meeting, the US informed members that it would not back the measure, effectively burying it.

Israel had lobbied the US and other Security Council members to block the move, fearing that the joint statement would draw an equivalency between Israel and PIJ, the senior official explained.

Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan told Army Radio on Thursday, “We succeeded in blocking condemnation of Israel with the help of the US, with whom we worked in conjunction.”

“The US, together with the UK, conveyed [to us] that they would not allow a statement,” he added.

The Biden administration has consistently come to Israel’s defense at the Security Council, blocking the panel from issuing statements or passing resolutions on Israeli-Palestinian flareups in over half a dozen instances, including several times during the May 2021 Gaza war. Washington has argued that the UN is not the proper body to adjudicate the conflict.

One apparent exception to that stance came in February when the US helped the Security Council adopt a joint statement blasting the Israeli government for a decision to legalize nine West Bank outposts and advance plans for nearly 10,000 new settlement homes. Still, this move came after the US blocked the top UN panel from passing a binding resolution against Israel.

As in previous rounds of violence between Israel and terror groups in Gaza, the Biden administration has worked quietly to restore calm.

During the 11-day war in May 2021, initial statements from the Biden administration focused solely on expressing backing for Israel’s right to self-defense, giving Jerusalem cover to continue striking targets in Gaza. It took several days before US statements began including more overt calls for de-escalation and a ceasefire.

This time though, such rhetoric was employed after just one day of fighting.

In the White House readout from US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan’s call with his Israeli counterpart Tzachi Hanegbi, the former “reaffirmed the administration’s ironclad support for Israel’s security, as well as its right to defend its people from indiscriminate rocket attacks.

“Sullivan also noted continued regional efforts to broker a ceasefire, and emphasized the need to deescalate tensions and prevent further loss of life,” the statement said.

US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides echoed the sentiment on Thursday, tweeting that he was “concerned about the continuing rocket launches today. We stand by Israel’s right to defend itself. Working towards a quick de-escalation.”

Wednesday was the fourth time the Security Council convened an emergency session to discuss the escalations in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since the establishment of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hardline government on December 29. During that period, the UN panel has also held four of its mandated monthly meetings on the conflict, which both Jerusalem and Washington have argued demonstrates the council’s disproportionate focus on Israel.

In light of the decision by the US to block a joint statement, Security Council members at the Wednesday meeting sufficed with receiving a briefing on the developments in Gaza from the UN’s Mideast envoy Tor Wennesland before ambassadors had the opportunity to present the positions of their respective capitals on the violence. Envoys were unanimous in their calls for the parties to de-escalate, while most were particularly critical of the civilian casualties caused by the Israeli airstrikes on PIJ operatives, a UN diplomat for a country at the meeting told The Times of Israel.

Also on Wednesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a statement expressing his “deep concern” over the Gaza developments.

“The Secretary-General condemns the civilian loss of life, including that of children and women, which he views as unacceptable and must stop immediately,” said a statement on Guterres’s behalf. “Israel must abide by its obligations under international humanitarian law, including the proportional use of force and taking all feasible precautions to spare civilians and civilian objects in the conduct of military operations.

“The Secretary-General also condemns the indiscriminate launching of rockets from Gaza into Israel, which violates international humanitarian law and puts at risk both Palestinian and Israeli civilians,” the statement added, calling on both parties to “exercise maximum restraint and to work to stop hostilities immediately.”

On Thursday, the UN’s Human Rights Office issued its own statement expressing “alarm” over the Gaza fighting.

“We are concerned about whether the IDF took sufficient precautions to avoid, and in any event to minimize, loss of civilian life, injury to civilians and damage to civilian objects,” the statement said, also condemning “indiscriminate” Palestinian rocket fire at Israel.

Operation Shield and Arrow commenced with a series of near-simultaneous IDF airstrikes that eliminated three of PIJ’s most senior commanders in response to the terror group’s launching of over 100 rockets at Israel last week. Ten Palestinian civilians were killed in those initial Tuesday strikes, including four children.

Islamic Jihad has since fired over 800 projectiles at Israel, including one rocket that struck an apartment building in the central town of Rehovot on Thursday, killing one and injuring five others.

The IDF in response has struck 191 PIJ targets throughout the Strip, intentionally avoiding sites belonging to the Gaza-ruling Hamas, which it says has thus far avoided actively joining the fighting.

The Hamas-run health ministry in the Gaza Strip said Thursday night that the death toll from the latest round of fighting stood at 29, with roughly half believed to have been civilians. Israel says some civilians died as a result of Palestinian rocket misfires.

At least 93 were wounded in the three days of fighting, the ministry said. Although its figures did not differentiate between those injured or killed by Israeli airstrikes and those injured or killed by Islamic Jihad rocket misfires.

US blocks China-led Security Council initiative to issue statement on Gaza violence - The Times of Israel

Biden administration again comes to Israel's aid at UN after lobbying from Jerusalem, which expressed fear that missive would draw equivalency between Israel and Islamic Jihad

www.timesofisrael.com

Was it hardly surprising? USA protects Israel for Geo-strategic reasons. You think they care about Zionists?

 

[Dalit]

Papa America protecting its illegitimate child.

 

[ThunderCat]

But Iran's nuclear program is a cause of concern to Arab countries and Turkey. As well as Pakistani military.

An alliance with Israel cannot be ruled out amongst these countries.

 

[Hakwa Nadro]

But Iran's nuclear program is a cause of concern to Arab countries and Turkey. As well as Pakistani military.

An alliance with Israel cannot be ruled out amongst these countries.

Begaane shaadi meh gobar bhakt diwaana

 

[Muji.Iqbal]

But Iran's nuclear program is a cause of concern to Arab countries and Turkey. As well as Pakistani military.

An alliance with Israel cannot be ruled out amongst these countries.

The Saudis are very anti-Iran. Don't blame them though. These Iranians play the sectarian game all the time.

Or the Iranian government persecutes Sunnis in their country.

 

[Iñigo]

"USA protects Israel for Geo-strategic reasons."

This is impossible to argue

 

[ThunderCat]

The Saudis are very anti-Iran. Don't blame them though. These Iranians play the sectarian game all the time.

Or the Iranian government persecutes Sunnis in their country.

Not to mention their close ties with India and their influence on Pakistani Shias. They cannot be trusted with nuclear weapons.

Imagine Pakistan opening diplomatic ties with Israel on the same grounds.

 

[Dalit]

But Iran's nuclear program is a cause of concern to Arab countries and Turkey. As well as Pakistani military.

An alliance with Israel cannot be ruled out amongst these countries.

It isn't a concern. It shouldn't be a concern. It is entirely an independent matter of Iran.

Not to mention their close ties with India and their influence on Pakistani Shias. They cannot be trusted with nuclear weapons.

Imagine Pakistan opening diplomatic ties with Israel on the same grounds.

True. Iran has close relations with India. Often at the expense of Pakistan. No doubt about it.

Nevertheless, we should view the nuclear issue separately from other issues. Instead of bracketing Iran as a foe Pakistan needs to approach Iran and try to stabilise relations. At least learn from the Saudis and GCC Arab nations. Are we greater foes with Iran than Arab nations? Yet the Arab nations understand that mending ties is the way forward. I just don't understand our logic. We always have a flawed way of thinking when it comes to mending ties with certain neighbors. It won't do much good for Pakistan as history has already proven.

 

[Dalit]

The Saudis are very anti-Iran. Don't blame them though. These Iranians play the sectarian game all the time.

Or the Iranian government persecutes Sunnis in their country.

This is definitely a concern. Once upon a time many Western countries were also waging wars among themselves. All the same petty reasons. In the end the Western countries realised that working together for the greater good is the only way forward. Despite differences etc. Sounds very cliche, but it is the truth. Instead of fighting among themselves, today the Western bloc plays divide and conquer elsewhere.

The problem with developing nations and Islamic nations in particular is that they cannot get over their differences. We are still stuck in the dark medieval ages and unable to align our political/economic interests. Differences triumph over prosperity and cooperation. We allow outsiders to dictate our policies. The Saudis have finally shown courage by sitting down with Iran and resolving issues amicably. There is a long way to go, but a start has been made.

Pakistan will be left far behind. All regional countries are moving ahead. Resolving their differences and finding common ground. We are still quarreling and playing around. Pakistan will pay a big penalty for foolishness. The army wants to sit in Western lap and do their bidding. The political parties only care about their short-term interests. The people are left in the middle to scavenge. The outcome for Pakistan is disastrous.

 

[OIO]

This is definitely a concern. Once upon a time many Western countries were also waging wars among themselves. All the same petty reasons. In the end the Western countries realised that working together for the greater good is the only way forward. Despite differences etc. Sounds very cliche, but it is the truth. Instead of fighting among themselves, today the Western bloc plays divide and conquer elsewhere.

The problem with developing nations and Islamic nations in particular is that they cannot get over their differences. We are still stuck in the dark medieval ages and unable to align our political/economic interests. Differences triumph over prosperity and cooperation. We allow outsiders to dictate our policies. The Saudis have finally shown courage by sitting down with Iran and resolving issues amicably. There is a long way to go, but a start has been made.

Pakistan will be left far behind. All regional countries are moving ahead. Resolving their differences and finding common ground. We are still quarreling and playing around. Pakistan will pay a big penalty for foolishness. The army wants to sit in Western lap and do their bidding. The political parties only care about their short-term interests. The people are left in the middle to scavenge. The outcome for Pakistan is disastrous.

Things are changing dramatically in Middle Eastern countries, including the religious climate. Pakistan and Afghanistan are difficult to change because of the long history of using religion in politics and geopolitics.

In general, the problems of Pakistan and Afghanistan need to be solved together.

It is difficult to develop the economy without social stability. The progress of the Belt and Road Initiative in Africa is better than that in Pakistan.