Exasperated by the cycle of violence that has marked the Palestine-Israel relations, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has advised the Palestinians to follow Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence.
After returning from a visit to Raj Ghat “to pay tribute to Gandhi” in India last month, the UN chief had said: “Let's not forget the example of Gandhi. I do not think that it is with violence that the Palestinians will be able to better defend their interests."
Barely a month later, violence shook Palestine and Israel after Hamas launched the deadly attack on Israel on October 7.
Guterres's is sage advice, but wishful thinking for the history of the Israel-Palestine crisis is written in blood with the UN as a spectator, but a vociferous one issuing stern statements and pious resolutions while running benevolent relief programmes for the Palestinians.
The General Assembly and the Security Council have each passed more than 200 resolutions relating to Palestine.
In the case of the Security Council, the US and the Soviet Union or Russia had to agree to the resolutions or at least abstain to avoid vetoes while more than 50 critical of Israel have been vetoed by the US since 1972.
The Soviet Union and later Russia have also vetoed resolutions against the perceived interests of the Palestinians or the Arab neighbours.
When Hamas attacked Israel last week leaving a trail of over 1,200 dead and capturing over 100 hostages, the paralysis that has plagued the UN most recently in the Ukraine War was in full display again and the Council could not even agree on a symbolic statement condemning the attack because of Moscow’s recalcitrance.
A two-state solution is universally accepted: Almost every speaker at the high-level General Assembly session, including US President Joe Biden has supported a two-state solution, creating a sovereign Palestine nation alongside Israel.
But getting it off the ground is an impossibility for now for a variety of reasons.
While deploying peacekeepers to force a two-state solution is out of question, the only possible actions that the Council could take to force a two-state solution would be economic sanctions, but that too is a pipe dream.
Neither the US nor the Western nations would stand for it. It would also not be practical either given Israel’s economic strength and its international standing.
But Israel isn’t the only barrier to a two-state solution.
Then there is the issue of the ability to self-govern credibly: After Israel pulled out of the Gaza Strip, the Palestine Authority, the nominal government of a possible Palestine state could not keep control of it and an Islamist terror group took over and showed that the territory could not have a reasonable governance.
But deeper is the basic Arab refusal to accept a Jewish state in their midst.
That has led to the self-defeating violence for which Guterres suggested the antidote of Gandhian non-violence.
The three major wars between Israel and its neighbours, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan ended in victories for Israel, which captured the Gaza Strip and the West Bank – and with them the continuing problems of today.
While various forms of truce have been reached between Israel and Egypt and Jordan and there is a standoff with Lebanon and Syria, Palestinian elements have continued the nihilistic policy of totally eliminating Israel, the Hamas attack the latest manifestation, sabotaging the possibility of a two-nation solution.
Meanwhile, the Palestinians have also made headway at the UN, the Palestine Authority gaining observer status in 1974.
It allows the PA to participate in UN meetings like member states, though not vote, and its leaders to speak on par with heads of state.
With his trademark red kaffiyeh head scarf the late Palestine Authority President Yasser Arafat addressed the General Assembly for the first time in 1974 and followed with other appearances alongside presidents, prime ministers and potentates.
The UN also runs its largest humanitarian programmes with an annual budget of $1.6 billion for Palestinians.
Employing 30,000 people – 13,000 in Gaza – the UN Relief and Works Agency runs schools and health centres, provides food assistance and has development programmes for Palestinians.
The UN also has three peacekeeping operations in Israel relating to peace-keeping: the UN Truce Supervision Organisation (UNTSO) headquartered in Jerusalem that was set up in 1948 after the first Arab-Israel War, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) created in 1978 to supervise the border after Lebanon withdrew from Lebanon (India has 894 personnel in the operation, and the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) mandated in 1974 to oversee the ceasefire between Israel and Syria (with 208 Indian personnel).
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