What’s different about the latest resolution?
The Monday passage of the Gaza resolution is a paradigm shift made remarkable less by the vote of 14 out of 15 members, than by America’s notable abstention.
By not vetoing this resolution like it did for the last three, Washington let it go through, albeit without full endorsement.
And in doing so, it has distanced itself from Israel over the Gaza issue and deviated from near-blanket support of an ally that has largely stood the test of time.
Records show that in the past five decades or so, the US vetoed at least 50 Security Council resolutions on Israel, ranging from illegal settlements in the occupied territories to violence against Palestinians.
The divergence this week amplifies growing dissonance between the Biden and Netanyahu administrations over the latter’s handling of the conflict and the escalating humanitarian cost.
What happens now?
The question is if the US pivot will have any impact on a conflict that’s killed more than 30,000 people in under six months.
At the very least, a ceasefire could pave the way for more effective aid deliveries and save lives in and around the Gaza Strip over the next two weeks.
But it would also be just one ceasefire amid a sprawling, manifold battle with roots that go back decades.
In the context of the wider, protracted Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it could be seen as applying a band-aid to a gunshot wound.
Source: CNA
