Against the Wall
Following the landmark ruling by the International Court of Justice on July 9 condemning Israel's apartheid wall in the clearest of terms, the Non-Aligned Movement (with 115 members, it's the biggest political grouping outside of the UN) has called on the Security Council to adopt a clear resolution against the wall, UN member states to block products from the Israeli settlements from their markets and to impose sanctions against "companies and entities" involved in illegal activites in the Occupied Territories.
(Note added: in fact, the call for boycott was to members of the NAM, not the UN. See the declaration for details.)
It remains to be seen what the Non-Aligned Movement will actually do, but we may be close to the breaking point when Israel becomes a pariah among nations like apartheid South Africa. Even the Israeli Attorney General has warned that the ICJ ruling may lead to sanctions. These would be long overdue, for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will in end in one of two ways. Either international and internal pressure will lead to peaceful dismantling of the occupation, an end to Israeli apartheid and the beginning of a difficult reconciliation, as in South Africa; or the absence of such pressure will make it possible for the Israeli government to deploy enough violence to crush Palestinian aspirations to freedom.
The Non-Aligned Movement speaks for more than half the world's nations, so its stand is heartening. Sadly, however, it's not the voices of half the world but the actions of the US and the EU that count. Without the diplomatic, economic, military and propaganda support of the United States it would be impossible for Israel to continue the occupation. The European Union is less complicit, but as Israel's largest trading partner it could apply considerable pressure if it wanted to. Apart from actual sanctions, the absolute minimum the EU should do is to suspend the preferred status of Israel as an Associated State (in fact, the Associated State agreement is subject to human rights conditions), refuse to import products from the settlements and impose a total arms embargo. Thus far, the EU has been content with empty condemnations.
(Note added: in fact, the call for boycott was to members of the NAM, not the UN. See the declaration for details.)
It remains to be seen what the Non-Aligned Movement will actually do, but we may be close to the breaking point when Israel becomes a pariah among nations like apartheid South Africa. Even the Israeli Attorney General has warned that the ICJ ruling may lead to sanctions. These would be long overdue, for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will in end in one of two ways. Either international and internal pressure will lead to peaceful dismantling of the occupation, an end to Israeli apartheid and the beginning of a difficult reconciliation, as in South Africa; or the absence of such pressure will make it possible for the Israeli government to deploy enough violence to crush Palestinian aspirations to freedom.
The Non-Aligned Movement speaks for more than half the world's nations, so its stand is heartening. Sadly, however, it's not the voices of half the world but the actions of the US and the EU that count. Without the diplomatic, economic, military and propaganda support of the United States it would be impossible for Israel to continue the occupation. The European Union is less complicit, but as Israel's largest trading partner it could apply considerable pressure if it wanted to. Apart from actual sanctions, the absolute minimum the EU should do is to suspend the preferred status of Israel as an Associated State (in fact, the Associated State agreement is subject to human rights conditions), refuse to import products from the settlements and impose a total arms embargo. Thus far, the EU has been content with empty condemnations.
posted by Syksy at 20:40
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