It was Friday afternoon, February 18 at the UN Security Council stakeout shortly before 3 pm. Watching Ambassadors and their staff members coming down the stairs at the UN leading to the Security Council, one had the sense something significant was happening. Not only did the crowd arriving include Ambassadors from the 15 nations on the Security Council, but a large number of Ambassadors of nations not currently on the Security Council, along with other members of their delegations, hurried into the Security Council chambers.

This was not a usual situation for the Security Council. Clearly more than a few nations judged that the meeting would be important. The Security Council was to vote on a draft Resolution condemning Israeli settlements being built on Palestinian land occupied by Israel. This meeting was also unusual in that 130 member nations had agreed in advance to co-sponsor the draft Resolution. To… weiter lesen

[Editor's Note: This is the 2nd part of a two part article. Part I is General Assembly debates the Goldstone Report.]

I-UN General Assembly Resolution on the Goldstone Report

The Goldstone Report presents facts and evidence to document that there were substantial humanitarian and human rights violations, especially by Israeli decision makers and military personnel during the 22 day military attack on the people and institutions of the Gaza. The Report concludes that international law requires that criminal investigations be undertaken by both Israeli and Palestinian authorities.(1)

In addition to recommendations for the parties involved in the conflict, the Report makes specific recommendations for action by some of the organs of the United Nations and by the nations to uphold the obligations of international humanitarian and human rights law.(2)

Along with the endorsement for the Report, and the request that the Secretary General transmit the Report to the Security… weiter lesen

On Saturday Evening, January 3 the President of the General Assembly, Father Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, arrived at the UN as the Security Council was preparing to hold a closed door meeting about the Gaza Crisis.

Earlier in the day, Israel had escalated the previous 8 days of bombing of Gaza by beginning a ground invasion into Gaza.

The situation in Gaza is that the 1.5 million civilians are trapped in a virtual prison as for the past 18 months prior to the invasion Israel has blockaded the crossing points into Gaza that it controls, and Egypt has closed the one crossing point it has control over.

Responding to the question from a journalist about what his reaction was to Israel’s actions in Gaza and the Israeli ground attack,  Brockmann said, “I think it’s a monstrosity. There’s no other way to name it.” (1)

He went on to explain that “once… weiter lesen