UNGA reflections: US-Israeli relations and UN reform
On September 26, CIP President & CEO Nancy Okail joined a TRT World panel on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York to discuss the Middle East crisis and the broader issue of structural challenges at the United Nations.
Discussing the Israel-Palestine conflict and the escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, Okail said:
“[President Biden] has been just giving the bear hug to Netanyahu since day one. And he has not moved an inch.”
She urged President Biden to stop applying a double standard to Israel when it comes to enforcing the law:
“The crimes that are being committed in Gaza are so clearly committed and recorded by credible organizations. Yet we have not been able to see like a real movement towards conditioning aid or suspending arms even in order to have a fair and credible assessment of the situation. So why would Netanyahu stop right now, because there are no consequences in the war?”
Okail and the panelists also highlighted frustrations with UNGA regarding the power wielded by the five permanent members with veto rights, even when the rest of the world reaches a unanimous decision.
“They need structural changes,” stressed Okail, noting that “if there’s no will, they will be forced to do it. Because either it’s going to become more and more irrelevant and just a a nice building out there that people just gather in, or they will need to respond to all the calls for the reform.”
Asked if the UN should be replaced, Okail concluded, “It’s not about replacing one organization with another one. It’s more about having an equitable structure.” She cited access and accountability as two major obstacles, pointing to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine Refugees in the Near East:
“Its funding has been suspended, their members have been killed and there are no consequences. […] We’re talking about people’s access to medicine, to food, to safety. It’s just very difficult to see that this is happening yet they can’t do anything about it. Where is the accountability?”
Watch the full discussion on TRT World here.
