In spite of the best efforts of the Israeli and Western propaganda machines, millions of people all over the world are now saying loudly and clearly that the unimaginable atrocities committed by the Israeli military death machine simply cannot continue.
There is massive international opposition to the genocide in Gaza and the ethnic cleansing of the West Bank.
It is important to make sure that these marches keep growing to such huge proportions that the ruling elites will be unable to ignore them and hopefully public opposition will force their governments to tope their endorsement of genocide.
Paul Heywood-Smith, an Australian lawyer has suggested that citizens could push their governments to invoke UN General Assembly Resolution 377 – the “Uniting for Peace” resolution on the recognition of Palestine on the ’67 borders.
Invocation of Resolution 377 would have the effect of overruling any Security Council Veto.
Resolution 377 states that in any case where the Security Council, because of a lack of unanimity among its five permanent members, fails to act as required to maintain international security and peace, the General Assembly shall consider the matter immediately, and may issue appropriate recommendations to UN members for collective measures, including the use of armed force when necessary, in order to maintain or restore international security and peace.
It might be a good idea for voters to press their governments to bring a resolution to the General Assembly for all members to implement Security Council Resolution 242 and recognise the State of Palestine on the ’67 borders.
In fact approximately three quarters of member states already have done so. The resolution could request Israel to comply with the resolution on the ’67 borders, and in the event that it fails to do so it could consider appropriate sanctions which could lead to the exclusion of Israel from all international diplomatic and/or economic activity.
Let us call for our governments to recognise the State of Palestine on the ’67 borders, followed by moving a motion in the General Assembly, calling upon Israel to end the occupation with sanctions foreshadowed if it failed to do so.
Ireland has given the example of another form of action. Sinn Fein has put forward a motion in Ireland’s Dail for the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador to Ireland. The motion also calls for the Government to refer Israel to the International Criminal Court for an investigation on whether Israel has committed war crimes in Gaza.
The motion also calls upon Ireland to lobby for the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement on the grounds that the human rights clause in the Agreement has been breached.
Paul Heywood-Smith is an Adelaide KC of some 20 years. He was the initial chairperson of the Australian Friends of Palestine Association and the author of The Case for Palestine, The Perspective of an Australian Observer, published by Wakefield Press in 2014.
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