UN handicapped in dealing with Israeli crimes: Analyst

Press TV has conducted an interview with Daoud Kuttab, a columnist for the Palestine Pulse of al-Monitor, to discuss Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the UN General Assembly.

Here is a rough transcription of the interview:

Press TV: I would like to get your opinion on Netanyahu’s statement at the UN General Assembly where he accused the UN of being biased against Israel.

Kuttab: Yes, Netanyahu is correct in his statement because Israel has been committing so many errors and violations of the UN. The state of Israel was created by a UN resolution and the resolution says, as President Abbas said, there has to be partition between Israel and Palestine. Israel has taken not only its part of the Partition Plan but the Palestinian part and for 50 years Israel has been occupying Palestinian territories.

So of course the UN is biased against Israel because Israel is a violator of the UN resolution and the Partition Plan in particular. The problem is he is claiming that this Israeli act is normal. Israeli action is not normal and the occupation is totally abnormal and it is a violation of the UN. So the UN has to defend its own Charter and its own policies.

Press TV: But also when Netanyahu claims that the UN is biased against Israel, he is basically claiming that the anti-Israeli resolutions that are passed by the UN, be it through its Human Rights Commission or General Assembly, are based on incorrect evidence. Is that how you see it?

Kuttab: Well the international community and the best friend of Israel - the US - have all said to Israel ‘end the occupation’. President Obama in his speech just a few days ago after approving 38 billion dollars over ten years to Israel said Israel must end the occupation and settlements.

So there is no country in the world that agrees with Israel. Israel is violating the UN and it is going against the thoughts and the advice of its best allies – the US and Europe and the rest of the world. So I do not know who stands up with Israel except its own right-wing parties.

Press TV: Of course there are those on the other side of the aisle that criticize the UN for not doing enough in stopping Israel’s atrocities being committed against Palestinians, be it through its settlement expansion or the blockade of Gaza. What would you say to that?  

Kuttab: Well the UN is as strong as the Security Council and the Security Council unfortunately has five permanent members including the US which normally does not allow Chapter 7 to be used in the UN Security Council, does not allow any strong resolutions against Israel that have teeth.

So without a resolution with teeth, the UN is totally handicapped and it is unable to really do what it is supposed to do which is to protect the Charter and to protect its members.

Palestine is a state under occupation and Gaza as you rightly said is under siege for now about ten years. So there has to be an end to these violations and unfortunately the UN is unable to do that because of the US veto [power].

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