ON Wednesday, Malaysia joined 123 nations to vote in favour of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution to end the illegal Israeli occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.
The resolution, which gives effect to the July 19 ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), is a reflection of the growing outrage at the Zionist regime's unending genocide of Palestinians.
The ICJ ordered a "rapid" end to the occupation, while the UN resolution was more generous, giving Tel Aviv a 12-month deadline.
Unsurprisingly, the leading purveyor of rules-based world order, the United States, chose to stand with Israel to oppose the resolution, though a few of its allies voted for it.
Britain, which under the Labour government, has adopted a neither-here-nor-there Middle East foreign policy, abstained.
Interestingly, three permanent UN Security Council members — France, China and Russia — were outraged enough to vote for the resolution.
France's statement to the assembly, though carefully crafted not to displease Israel, had a clear message to nations that claim to be rules-based: respect international law because it is an obligation on all states.
Nations, especially those which are blindly loyal to Israel, must realise that out of the 193 sovereign nations in the world, 124 voted for the resolution calling for the withdrawal of Israel from the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT).
Only 14 voted against.
The UNSC will do well to implement the will of the majority. Make no mistake.
Israel will not obey international laws, even those that it willingly signed on to.
Look at its track record. Disobedience of international law is its national pastime.
But the world's top court didn't just address the Zionist nation.
It called on other states to do two things; one, not to recognise "the unlawful presence of Israel in the OPT" and, two, "not to render aid or assistance" to Israel in maintaining its illegal occupation.
Put differently, as the ICJ did, nations which are parties to the UN Charter — the 193 members of the world body — are under an obligation "to ensure compliance by Israel with international humanitarian law".
Yes, even the five permanent members of the UNSC.
Too much time is wasted debating about the ICJ's ruling or the UNGA resolution being non-binding.
But that is a dangerous pursuit. Because it only encourages the Zionist regime to continue its genocide of Palestinians.
To date, more than 42,000 innocent lives — most of them women and children — have been lost to the bullets and bombs of Israel, supplied by the US and European allies.
Lawyers within the administrations of the states and without have gone public in stating that such military aid is likely to lead to a charge of complicity under international law.
For sure, the might of big powers can keep justice in abeyance. But this is not a principled position to take.
Granted, the US can veto the resolution if it is tabled in the UNSC, but this will be choosing to be on the wrong side of history.
Besides, thwarting every effort at creating a Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, is an invitation to a wider war.
Malaysia's principled position is right: the Palestinians deserve their own independent and sovereign state. The UN owes it to them.