(UnitedVoice.com) – The United States has veto power on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). That means the US can effectively kill any resolution they do not agree with. This is a power that they have exercised again and again and again when it comes to Israel. In fact, in 2021, reports indicated the US had used its veto power more than 50 times over the previous five decades to prevent measures targeting the Jewish State from moving forward.
That has now changed, and the Israeli government is furious.
UN Resolution
For weeks, the US government has called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to put a ceasefire in place. President Joe Biden’s administration wanted to get the hostages that Hamas kidnapped out of Gaza. Also, he wanted to move more humanitarian aid into the region. Israel resisted.
On March 25, the US abstained from voting on UNSC resolution 2728. That means they took no action, choosing to stay out of the fight. The resolution called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip for the remainder of Ramadan, a holy month for practitioners of the Islamic faith.
The passage of the resolution was a victory for the nations calling for the ceasefire. They had introduced the measure multiple times before, only to have the US veto it.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken released a statement later that day saying the decision to abstain from the vote reaffirmed America’s “position that a ceasefire of any duration come as part of an agreement to release hostages in Gaza.” He went on to say that although the US doesn’t agree with all of the language in the resolution, it’s largely consistent with the Biden Administration’s position.
Blinken explained the US would have voted to pass the resolution, but it did not contain language condemning Hamas, which was a dealbreaker for them.
Israel Lashes Out
After the US abstained from the vote, Netanyahu canceled an Israeli delegation’s trip to America. Biden had personally requested the delegation a week ago so officials could lay out alternative options to an invasion into Rafah.
John Kirby, a White House spokesperson, told reporters the administration was “very disappointed” that Israel wasn’t sending a delegation. However, he said US officials were still planning to meet with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who is in Washington, DC. He also made it clear the US policy on the war in Gaza had not changed and noted that officials intended to continue expressing concerns with Israel about its strategies to take out Hamas.
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