The Council of the Arab League has instructed its representatives at the United Nations to explore steps to freeze Israel’s participation in the body’s General Assembly. During an extraordinary session held in Cairo on July 4, the bloc cited Israel’s failure to adhere to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter as the basis for this move.
The Palestinian Permanent Representative to the Arab League welcomed the decision. He stated, “Today, the Arab League council at the level of permanent representatives has decided clearly to start the procedures of freezing Israel’s participation in the United Nations General Assembly as a colonial power, a power that firstly, threatens international peace and security, and doesn’t commit to the United Nations Charter nor did it fulfill the terms of its membership in the United Nations.”
He further highlighted the historical significance of such actions, referencing the exclusion of South Africa from international organisations in 1974 as a decisive step in ending its apartheid regime.
The Palestinian death toll from nearly nine months of conflict has surged past 38,000, with the majority of victims being women and children. Last June, the United Nations secretary-general added the Israeli armed forces to the “list of shame” of warring parties committing grave violations against children in armed conflict. The ongoing fighting has also resulted in an estimated 87,000 people being wounded.
Melissa Enoch
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