The United States is exposing its hypocrisy when it objected to the full membership of Palestine in the United Nations (UN).
When Israel was established on May 15, 1948, the US was the first country to recognize it almost immediately, and on May 11, 1949, Israel was given full membership in the UN.
All this happened at the expense of Palestinians being expelled, murdered and their land annexed.
While we are critical and skeptical of the proposed two-state solution in the Israel - Palestine conflict, we are astounded at the position of the US in rejecting Palestine as a full member of the UN.
It is loud and clear that if Palestine is accepted by an overwhelming majority of the UN members (143 in favour) in the recent UN General Assembly (UNGA) vote, then why is the US objecting to it when the it has been proposing a two-state solution?
We reiterate that the root cause of the conflict is clear and simple. It is occupation and colonization. Palestine has every right to reclaim their territory forcibly taken since the 1948 Nakbah.
While the two-state will be far from a solution, we register our abhorrence with the hipocrisy of the US. Why has the US voted against the full membership of Palestine in the UN while at the same time in favor of a two-state ?
The current reality is that the US will never accept a full statehood of Palestine.
Voting against Palestine membership through the UNGA and the UN Security Council is a contradiction to its stand for a two-state solution. Israel has determined its own preferred choice, which is only one state of Israel, and even expanded the territory into the Grand Greater Israel project.
There is undoubtedly an orchestrated plan to get nations to block the entry of Palestine. The US and Israel, as the main conspirators, will outdo the majority through the decisive veto powers of the Western allies of the US, UK, and France.
Malaysia has consistently supported the Palestinian rights to self-determination and freedom. It strongly favours the statehood of Palestine.
Entry into the UN is voted by the UNGA but can only be recognized by the UNSC. Effectively even, the UNGA voted overwhelmingly for Palestine to be accepted, the US can veto against it in the UNSC.
We demand the UN to institute reform immediately. The veto power is controversial. It has never been a promoter of international stability.
In fact, the veto is the most undemocratic element of the UN, as well as the main cause of inaction on war crimes and crimes against humanity, as it effectively prevents UN action against the permanent members and their allies.
Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid
President
Malaysian Consultative Council for Islamic Organization