Politics: WHO STOPS ISRAEL?

The US [John Bolton again...] has vetoed a UN Security Council draft resolution condemning an Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip that killed 18 civilians, most of them women and children.

The draft, which also condemned Israeli military operations in Gaza, followed last Wednesday's attack in Beit Hanoun. Unsurprisingly, the US ambassador at the UN, John Bolton, described the text as unbalanced and politically motivated. Ten of 15 Security Council members backed the resolution. Four abstained - Denmark, Japan, Slovakia and the UK (certainly the closest US allies...). This was the second time this year that the US used its veto on a draft resolution on Israeli military operations in Gaza. But the US has a long history of vetoing resolutions condemning Israel at the UN... so it is not only Bolton's fault. The excuse is often that such resolutions "are biased against the country". However, in the meantime, Gaza has turned into a concentration camp (see previous post) and Israel keeps on doing whatever it wants there, killing people and destroying infrastructure mostly paid by Europe's taxpayer money.

The problem is that no one seems to care. Europe never dares say a word against Israel, certainly for historic reasons. It prefers to pay and shut up. And in the US it's governments are often prisoners of the powerful jewish lobby. Yet all this is unacceptable, to my understanding. It's about time that Europe (and Germany) dare to speak out against Israel's actions. But, until Europe and the US do not put serious pressure (economic) on the Israel government, nothing will happen. And the Palestinian case will not be solved. History will judge all the western leaders (or their lack of leadership) that have failed to achieve a peaceful solution to the Middel east and keep Israel within its borders, in respect of international law.

In the meantime, John Bolton's days as US ambassador to the UN seem over. Not enough US senators seems ready to keep him there, according to the Washington Post. Already last year George Bush had a hard time gathering enough support for appointing Bolton within his ranks. He had to impose him by decree, something he will not be able to repeat...