U.S. Israel defensive diplomacy ‘isolated’ by UN abstention, rift with U.K. and Japan
On the 22nd, the United Nations Security Council adopted a draft resolution calling for urgent action to expand humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, which is fighting between Israel and Hamas. The United States and Russia abstained, and some in the U.S. media criticized America's "isolation diplomacy."
The draft resolution, in which 13 countries voted in favor, with America's allies Japan, Britain, Germany and France joining China, expressed serious concerns about the dire situation in the Gaza Strip and called for the protection of civilians and the immediate release of hostages.
The UN Security Council previously passed a resolution calling for a cessation of hostilities on November 15, and fighting between Israel and Hamas was temporarily suspended on the 24th, but fighting resumed on December 1.
In response to the United States' abstention, the New York Times diagnosed Israel as being isolated from Britain and Japan in defense diplomacy.
Regarding President Biden's remark during his abstention exercise at the UN Security Council that "it should be reserved for rare and special situations," he said, "Abstaining may seem better than exercising the veto, but it may still not help America's image abroad." “This is one of the reasons why the United States is diplomatically isolated and takes a defensive stance as the war is coming to an end,” he pointed out.
Regarding the abstention, the NYT said, “Abstention on the resolution designed to help more humanitarian aid reach Gaza would limit the damage to America's standing around the world as it becomes an increasingly lonely protector of Israel. “The result was a relief to U.S. officials who were reluctant to use the U.S. veto to defend Israel for the third time since the October 7 attack by Hamas,” he said of ‘isolation diplomacy.’
The NYT said, “Many people around the world are watching the Biden administration today, as the United States defends Israel’s national interests at the United Nations, supports its goal of destroying Hamas, and provides military supplies, while President Biden himself calls it ‘indiscriminate bombing.’ “We see it as enabling an indefensibly lethal Israeli military operation,” he said.
The US' support diplomacy was clearly contrasted in Ukraine and Israel, and President Biden's support for attacks on Israel, which removed the 'guardrails', increased the controversy over 'double standards' in the international community.
On the double standard, Professor Barbara Bodin, a former diplomat and director of the Institute of Foreign Affairs at Georgetown University, said, “When President Biden and U.S. officials appeared to authorize a large-scale Israeli military response without guardrails on October 7, the double standard was evident.” “It painfully confirmed to many people in the South what it means to exist,” he told the NYT.
“We are isolated,” Professor Bodin continued. “The United States has lost the international goodwill it gained in response to Russian aggression. "For so many of our friends and allies, it was a stark contrast to our response to Ukraine," he said.
Regarding the reaction of countries in the global South that are not great powers, he said, “This is especially true of the so-called ‘Southern’ countries that do not work closely with any major power such as the United States, China, or Russia.” “Many of these countries, including South Africa and India, believe that the United States Never before have we seen Ukraine emphasized in such heroic terms as the national anthem. “Most people in the global South did not believe that their conflicts and problems would generate this level of attention and action.”
President Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that they had united allies under the banner of American leadership, putting the basic principles of ‘international law and human rights’ at the forefront, and showed international support and leadership.
In his State of the Union address in February, President Biden said, “Putin’s invasion has been a test for a long time. A test for America. A test for the world. Together, we have done what America always does best. We led. “We integrated the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and built a global coalition,” he said.
President Biden abstained at the United Nations on the 22nd and said, “It should be reserved for rare and special situations.”
In a speech to the United Nations in September, President Biden said, “The United Nations Security Council should exercise its veto only in rare and special circumstances to ensure the credibility and effectiveness of the Council.”
At the UN Security Council's vote on the 22nd, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Thomas-Greenfield said in a speech that "the Security Council has not yet condemned Hamas' original attack," repeating the first and second vetoes.
NYT said, “In a sign of how important today’s vote is for the Biden administration, Secretary Blinken took on an unusually large role in the negotiations, even as Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield put pressure on his UN colleagues, meeting with the foreign ministers of Egypt and the United Arab Emirates respectively. “I spoke on the phone with numerous Arab officials, including several times,” the report said.
In response to reporters' questions about 'America's isolation diplomacy' on the 18th, Secretary Blinken said, "The United States continues to rally countries around the world to support Ukraine, build partnerships to strengthen the United States' position against China, and increase food security." “We are leading global efforts to tackle instability, artificial intelligence, and clean energy,” he said.
Regarding Israel and the Gaza Strip, he continued, “Countries across the region, as well as countries around the world, want to work with us and are looking to America for leadership in this crisis,” adding, “They may even disagree with us on certain issues.” “The same goes for other countries,” he said.
“Bad blood over Gaza will make it more difficult to get support from those countries, especially for pro-Ukraine resolutions,” said Gowan, director of the UN’s International Crisis Group. “This is good news for the Russian government. “The Russians are enjoying this moment and have used every opportunity possible to talk about American double standards,” he told the NYT.
He continued, “In the end, Russia’s strategy worked, because what everyone sees beyond the UN is Russia upholding international law and the United States opposing it.”
Reuters said on the 22nd, “As the war in Gaza enters its 10th week, the Israeli military appears resigned to the long road ahead to achieve its goal of destroying Hamas and bringing hostages home,” in contrast to columns in three major Israeli media outlets. did.
“Seventy-five days after the catastrophe, a phase of disillusionment has arrived,” wrote Ben Kaspit, a columnist for the center-left newspaper Marib and a longtime critic of Netanyahu.
“Israel will feel bitter, there is no doubt about it at the moment,” said Nahum Barnea, a columnist for Yedioth Ahronos, Israel’s best-selling daily newspaper.
“Signs this week that Israel may offer concessions to bring home more hostages are ‘extremely’ worrying,” said Ariel Kahana, a columnist for the pro-Netanyahu daily Hayom. “Hasn’t the time come to break the vicious cycle and return to the principle of defeating terrorism rather than submitting to it?” wrote.
Regarding the adoption of the resolution on the 22nd, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, “The way Israel operates in the Gaza Strip is creating enormous obstacles to the distribution of humanitarian aid.” “It is only 10%,” he said.
The Kremlin announced on this day that Russian President Vladimir Putin held a telephone meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on the 22nd to discuss ways to alleviate the conflict in the Gaza Strip and humanitarian relief.
Reuters reported on this day that Palestinian leader Abbas “agreed to visit Russia on a date agreed upon with Russia.”
Hamas in the Gaza Strip responded to the UN resolution on the 22nd, saying, “The resolution is an insufficient measure to meet the needs of the poor,” and added, “Over the past five days, the US administration has worked hard to empty the essence of this resolution and present a resolution with this weak formula.” did. “This goes against the will of the international community and the United Nations General Assembly to prevent Israel’s aggression against the defenseless Palestinian people,” he said.
The Palestinian Authority's Foreign Ministry called the UN resolution "a step in the right direction" and said it would "help end the invasion, ensure the arrival of aid and protect the Palestinian people."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held a forum on Russian-Arab cooperation in Morocco on the 20th and toured North Africa.
On the 22nd, the United States announced the ‘shipment of finished products to the United States’ from the consignment production of the American Patriot air defense missile system to Japan.
“This decision will contribute to Japan’s security and the peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific region by ensuring that U.S. forces continue to maintain credible deterrence and response capabilities in close cooperation with the Japan Self-Defense Forces,” White House adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement. It was announced as an ‘equal security system’.
Reuters reported that Japan, a limited exporter of components for sophisticated high-altitude missile systems, has provided indirect arms support in its war with Russia by providing the United States with additional capabilities to provide military aid to Ukraine.
Japan effectively abolished the ‘weapons export restrictions’ constitution by the United States, and the ‘ban on arms exports to countries during war’ was terminated.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said of the security expansion that day, “This has important significance in further strengthening Japan-U.S. relations,” adding, “It will contribute not only to the security of the alliance and Japan, but also to peace and stability in the broader Indo-Pacific region.”
Regarding Japan's arms exports, the Financial Times reported on this day that “we are considering exporting 155mm artillery shells manufactured under permission from BAE Systems to the UK.”
At the beginning of the Ukraine War, Japan established a next-generation fighter development and export system with Britain and Italy, leaving the United States' Lockheed Martin F-35 system.