Thursday, June 20, 2024
Elder of Ziyon
The Arab group of states today pulled their draft resolution condemning Israel at the WHO’s annual assembly after an amendment was adopted that called for the release of all hostages held in Gaza and condemned the use by armed groups of hospitals and ambulances.The initial 4-page draft resolution, written by the Palestinians and Syria, and submitted to the 77th World Health Assembly by Iran, Syria, China, Russia, Cuba, Egypt, Pakistan, Qatar and others, accused Israel of “using starvation as a weapon of war,” “wanton destruction of the Palestinian health system,” and causing “forcibly internally displaced civilians.”All of this was withdrawn by the Arab states, however, after Israel successfully amended the text to introduce a single sentence that “Calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held in Gaza, including children, women and older persons, and condemns the use, by armed groups, of health facilities, including hospitals and ambulances, that endangers the civilian population.”The Israeli-backed amendment was adopted by a vote of 50 to 44, with 31 abstentions. All Western democracies voted in support — except for Belgium, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway and Slovenia, which abstained.
Egypt then took the floor on behalf of the Arab Group to withdraw the entire resolution, in opposition to the amendment that called for the release of the Israeli hostages in Gaza.
Five Western democracies could not support a single sentence added to a virulently false and anti-Israel 4 page resolution that called for hostages to be released and condemns terrorists using hospitals.
In Belgium, the Jewish newspaper Joods Actueel reported,
Ambassador Pecsteen de Buytswerve, permanent representative for our country at the WHO, informed Joods Actueel by email that he did not act arbitrarily but followed the instructions of the Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs, “a normal procedure” according to him.The spokesperson for the FPS Foreign Affairs then said that “Israel's text contains a political message and that Belgium will always continue to behave in accordance with the highest moral and ethical values. This Israeli amendment is contrary to international law,” it continues.
So the 24 European countries that voted to include this single sentence are acting against international law?
By not adopting this amendment, whether intentionally or not, these five countries are saying that they agree with Hamas that the hostages should not be freed and that Hamas has the right to hijack the Gaza health system.
Every Muslim-majority country voted against the amendment.
(h/t Rudi)
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