Update(1710ET): The United States on Friday has vetoed an urgent Security Council draft resolution that would have demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. The resolution also called for the immediate, unconditional release of all hostages.
The United States was the lone "no". Here's a breakdown of the UNSC vote...
- In Favor: 13
- Against: 1 (US)
- Abstain: 1 (UK)
A UN press release stated, "The US vetoed a resolution put forward by the United Arab Emirates and backed by over 90 Member States. There were 13 votes in favor and the United Kingdom abstained."
Meanwhile, at a moment it appears to be the US/Israel against the world on the question of humanitarian ceasefire...
This is Baghdad Bob and Sean Spicer level of self-delusion.
— Trita Parsi (@tparsi) December 7, 2023
Kirby: "Name me one nation that is doing more to alleviate the pain and suffering of people in Gaza than the United States. You won't succeed, it just won't work!" pic.twitter.com/lHLOTG3UrU
Some brief updates via Al Jazeera:
- US vetoes UN Security Council resolution urging an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, hours after UN chief said “it is time to act”.
- Palestinian envoy to UN decries resolution’s failure as “disastrous”, says Israel’s continued war on Gaza will lead to more atrocities, killings and destruction.
- Palestinian Red Crescent says dozens of people killed in Israeli attacks on a house near a hospital in Khan Younis.
- At least 17,487 Palestinians killed in Gaza since October 7. In Israel, the revised official death toll stands at about 1,147.
* * *
With the 2024 election fast approaching and Democrat support for Israel's war on Hamas waning, the Biden administration - which is also trying to sell Congress on handing $14.3 billion in aid to Israel - has been ratcheting up pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to minimize civilian casualties, recognize and work with the Palestinian Authority, resume peace talks, and commit to not reoccupying Gaza.
The chances of that happening are virtually nil, however, as Netanyahu's government has made clear that Israel plans to destroy Hamas, retain an open-ended security presence in Gaza, impose a buffer zone to keep Palestinians away from the border, and never recognize the Palestinian Authority.
Despite the clear differences in vision for an endgame to this conflict, Israel knows the Biden administration is nothing more than a paper tiger in a dog mask, despite some 16,000 civilians reported dead by Gaza health authorities.
As the Washington Times notes;
But as the death toll in Gaza continues to rise, conditions deteriorate, and Biden enters an election year with significant portions of his Democratic base pushing for an end to Israel’s offensive, these differences are likely to grow in the absence of a clear endgame.
Shavit said that tensions could rise if the U.S. at some point concludes that Israel is dragging its feet or ignoring American demands. But for now, “the Americans want Israel to succeed,” he said.
Daniel Levy, a former Israeli peace negotiator who is president of the U.S./Middle East Project, a policy institute that studies the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, said the Americans are unlikely to put their foot down.
He cited what he described as a tepid American response to heavy civilian casualties in southern Gaza as an indicator of what lies ahead.
“Israelis have a sense that their road to run is not endless, but they still feel they have lots of road to run,” he said.
As we noted over the weekend, Biden's Defense Secretary, former Raytheon board member Lloyd Austin warned that Israel needs to be careful about civilian deaths.
"If you drive them into the arms of the enemy, you replace a tactical victory with a strategic defeat," he said. "So I have repeatedly made clear to Israel’s leaders that protecting civilians in Gaza is both a moral responsibility and a strategic imperative."
And on Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a stern warning, that "civilian casualties remain too high and that Israel must step up its efforts to reduce them."
Blinken has also called on Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza.
On Wednesday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres invoked Article 99 of the UN charger, which allows him to raise to the Security Council's attention "any issue that may aggravate existing threats to the maintenance of international peace and security."
The letter to the 15-member council - the seventh in the UN's 78-year history in which Article 99 has been invoked - urged the body to "press to avert a humanitarian catastrophe," and unite in a call for a full humanitarian ceasefire.
I've just invoked Art.99 of the UN Charter - for the 1st time in my tenure as Secretary-General.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) December 6, 2023
Facing a severe risk of collapse of the humanitarian system in Gaza, I urge the Council to help avert a humanitarian catastrophe & appeal for a humanitarian ceasefire to be declared. pic.twitter.com/pA0eRXZnFJ
In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen flipped out - calling Guiterres' tenure "a danger to world peace," and that the call for ceasefire in Gaza amounted to supporting Hamas and their Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel.
Guterres’ tenure is a danger to world peace.
— אלי כהן | Eli Cohen (@elicoh1) December 6, 2023
His request to activate Article 99 and the call for a cease fire in Gaza constitutes support of the Hamas terrorist organization and an endorsement of the murder of the elderly, the abduction of babies and the rape of women.
Anyone who…
The Security Council was expected to hold an emergency meeting at 10AM ET on Friday in New York, after the UAE on Thursday submitted a draft resolution calling for an urgent humanitarian ceasefire which has the support of Arab and Islamic nations.
The UAE calls for a humanitarian ceasefire resolution to be adopted urgently and has just submitted a draft to the UNSC.
— UAE Mission to the UN (@UAEMissionToUN) December 6, 2023
The situation in the Gaza Strip is catastrophic and close to irreversible. We cannot wait. The Council needs to act decisively to demand a humanitarian… https://t.co/mDr4c2F2FP
Is 'King Bibi' sacrificing Israel to save his political career?
As The Cradle noted on Tuesday, while Netanyahu faces international pressure from both allies and adversaries to rethink his strategy, he's also trying to tamp down a domestic revolt withing his own Likud party - with reports circulating about deposing him through a Knesset vote of no confidence, after which another party member would be selected to lead the government.
Essentially, Netanyahu's political survival strategy centers on portraying himself as the lone defender against shallow US rhetoric for a two-state solution. Attempting to sidestep responsibility for the occupation state’s failures, Netanyahu now faces a resurgent Benny Gantz in the opposition. Recent Israeli polls predict a significant shift among the wider public, favoring opposition and Arab parties over the current right-wing coalition. Per the polling, a new coalition could be expected to win 79 seats, compared to 41 seats for the parties of the current Likud-far-right government.
Israel’s precarious political situation has Netanyahu resisting any solution, settlement, or exit that could lead to legal consequences for him. He undermines his party by threatening immediate elections post-war if Likud's internal machinations against him don't stop - having already refused to step down from his post.
More worrisome yet is that despite Israel's devastating past war experiences in Lebanon, Netanyahu may view a northern war as his only potential escape route - a way to reshuffle his political fortunes to avoid corruption charges and face his military failures. Why not play Russian roulette with Lebanon when the only other option is a long stretch in a prison cell?
Meanwhile, the clock is ticking on the 2024 US election, and then there's the matter of the $14.3 billion courtesy (though not by choice) of the US taxpayer.
Update(1710ET): The United States on Friday has vetoed an urgent Security Council draft resolution that would have demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. The resolution also called for the immediate, unconditional release of all hostages.
The United States was the lone “no”. Here’s a breakdown of the UNSC vote…
- In Favor: 13
- Against: 1 (US)
- Abstain: 1 (UK)
A UN press release stated, “The US vetoed a resolution put forward by the United Arab Emirates and backed by over 90 Member States. There were 13 votes in favor and the United Kingdom abstained.”
Meanwhile, at a moment it appears to be the US/Israel against the world on the question of humanitarian ceasefire…
This is Baghdad Bob and Sean Spicer level of self-delusion.
Kirby: “Name me one nation that is doing more to alleviate the pain and suffering of people in Gaza than the United States. You won’t succeed, it just won’t work!” pic.twitter.com/lHLOTG3UrU
— Trita Parsi (@tparsi) December 7, 2023
Some brief updates via Al Jazeera:
- US vetoes UN Security Council resolution urging an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, hours after UN chief said “it is time to act”.
- Palestinian envoy to UN decries resolution’s failure as “disastrous”, says Israel’s continued war on Gaza will lead to more atrocities, killings and destruction.
- Palestinian Red Crescent says dozens of people killed in Israeli attacks on a house near a hospital in Khan Younis.
- At least 17,487 Palestinians killed in Gaza since October 7. In Israel, the revised official death toll stands at about 1,147.
* * *
With the 2024 election fast approaching and Democrat support for Israel’s war on Hamas waning, the Biden administration – which is also trying to sell Congress on handing $14.3 billion in aid to Israel – has been ratcheting up pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to minimize civilian casualties, recognize and work with the Palestinian Authority, resume peace talks, and commit to not reoccupying Gaza.
The chances of that happening are virtually nil, however, as Netanyahu’s government has made clear that Israel plans to destroy Hamas, retain an open-ended security presence in Gaza, impose a buffer zone to keep Palestinians away from the border, and never recognize the Palestinian Authority.
Despite the clear differences in vision for an endgame to this conflict, Israel knows the Biden administration is nothing more than a paper tiger in a dog mask, despite some 16,000 civilians reported dead by Gaza health authorities.
As the Washington Times notes;
But as the death toll in Gaza continues to rise, conditions deteriorate, and Biden enters an election year with significant portions of his Democratic base pushing for an end to Israel’s offensive, these differences are likely to grow in the absence of a clear endgame.
Shavit said that tensions could rise if the U.S. at some point concludes that Israel is dragging its feet or ignoring American demands. But for now, “the Americans want Israel to succeed,” he said.
Daniel Levy, a former Israeli peace negotiator who is president of the U.S./Middle East Project, a policy institute that studies the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, said the Americans are unlikely to put their foot down.
He cited what he described as a tepid American response to heavy civilian casualties in southern Gaza as an indicator of what lies ahead.
“Israelis have a sense that their road to run is not endless, but they still feel they have lots of road to run,” he said.
As we noted over the weekend, Biden’s Defense Secretary, former Raytheon board member Lloyd Austin warned that Israel needs to be careful about civilian deaths.
“If you drive them into the arms of the enemy, you replace a tactical victory with a strategic defeat,” he said. “So I have repeatedly made clear to Israel’s leaders that protecting civilians in Gaza is both a moral responsibility and a strategic imperative.”
And on Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a stern warning, that “civilian casualties remain too high and that Israel must step up its efforts to reduce them.”
Blinken has also called on Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza.
On Wednesday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres invoked Article 99 of the UN charger, which allows him to raise to the Security Council’s attention “any issue that may aggravate existing threats to the maintenance of international peace and security.”
The letter to the 15-member council – the seventh in the UN’s 78-year history in which Article 99 has been invoked – urged the body to “press to avert a humanitarian catastrophe,” and unite in a call for a full humanitarian ceasefire.
I’ve just invoked Art.99 of the UN Charter – for the 1st time in my tenure as Secretary-General.
Facing a severe risk of collapse of the humanitarian system in Gaza, I urge the Council to help avert a humanitarian catastrophe & appeal for a humanitarian ceasefire to be declared. pic.twitter.com/pA0eRXZnFJ
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) December 6, 2023
In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen flipped out – calling Guiterres’ tenure “a danger to world peace,” and that the call for ceasefire in Gaza amounted to supporting Hamas and their Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel.
Guterres’ tenure is a danger to world peace.
His request to activate Article 99 and the call for a cease fire in Gaza constitutes support of the Hamas terrorist organization and an endorsement of the murder of the elderly, the abduction of babies and the rape of women.
Anyone who…— אלי כהן | Eli Cohen (@elicoh1) December 6, 2023
The Security Council was expected to hold an emergency meeting at 10AM ET on Friday in New York, after the UAE on Thursday submitted a draft resolution calling for an urgent humanitarian ceasefire which has the support of Arab and Islamic nations.
The UAE calls for a humanitarian ceasefire resolution to be adopted urgently and has just submitted a draft to the UNSC.
The situation in the Gaza Strip is catastrophic and close to irreversible. We cannot wait. The Council needs to act decisively to demand a humanitarian… https://t.co/mDr4c2F2FP
— UAE Mission to the UN (@UAEMissionToUN) December 6, 2023
Is ‘King Bibi‘ sacrificing Israel to save his political career?
As The Cradle noted on Tuesday, while Netanyahu faces international pressure from both allies and adversaries to rethink his strategy, he’s also trying to tamp down a domestic revolt withing his own Likud party – with reports circulating about deposing him through a Knesset vote of no confidence, after which another party member would be selected to lead the government.
Essentially, Netanyahu’s political survival strategy centers on portraying himself as the lone defender against shallow US rhetoric for a two-state solution. Attempting to sidestep responsibility for the occupation state’s failures, Netanyahu now faces a resurgent Benny Gantz in the opposition. Recent Israeli polls predict a significant shift among the wider public, favoring opposition and Arab parties over the current right-wing coalition. Per the polling, a new coalition could be expected to win 79 seats, compared to 41 seats for the parties of the current Likud-far-right government.
Israel’s precarious political situation has Netanyahu resisting any solution, settlement, or exit that could lead to legal consequences for him. He undermines his party by threatening immediate elections post-war if Likud’s internal machinations against him don’t stop – having already refused to step down from his post.
More worrisome yet is that despite Israel’s devastating past war experiences in Lebanon, Netanyahu may view a northern war as his only potential escape route – a way to reshuffle his political fortunes to avoid corruption charges and face his military failures. Why not play Russian roulette with Lebanon when the only other option is a long stretch in a prison cell?
Meanwhile, the clock is ticking on the 2024 US election, and then there’s the matter of the $14.3 billion courtesy (though not by choice) of the US taxpayer.
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