Chicago: A campaign was launched on Friday to push the UN to impose sanctions on Israel and override American vetoes that protect the country at the Security Council.
The Lifeline for Palestine coalition, led by former US presidential candidate Dr. Jill Stein, is backed by leading pro-Palestinian activists and groups.
During a webinar attended by Arab News, Stein and former UN human rights official Craig Mokhiber explained how the organization’s member states have the legal authority to circumvent the Security Council and impose sanctions on Israel, suspend its membership, impose an arms embargo, and assign a UN peacekeeping force to Gaza and the West Bank.
Mokhiber, who served 30 years with the UN, said Israel’s actions in Gaza far exceed the violence and oppression of apartheid South Africa.
He added that UN member states “have the power” under a 1950s resolution called “Uniting for Peace” to circumvent the Security Council’s failure to act.
“The world doesn’t have to surrender to a US veto in the Security Council. The UN General Assembly is empowered when it meets to convene under ‘Uniting for Peace.’ There are historical precedents for doing so, and they can take extraordinary action,” Mokhiber said, adding that the UNGA needs a two-thirds majority to act, or 127 of its 193 members.
Last year, 124 nations approved a resolution demanding Israel withdraw from Gaza and the West Bank by Sept. 28, 2025.
In the face of a Security Council veto or failure to act, “any member state can then call for an emergency special session of the General Assembly under ‘Uniting for Peace,’” said Mokhiber.
“A resolution can be proposed … it can be adopted with a two-thirds majority, then the UN can start soliciting troop contributions from member states to participate and deploy troops.”
Stein said pro-Palestine activists “have the power right now to end the genocide” in Gaza. “The essential pieces of a strong resolution are establishing a military embargo and comprehensive sanctions … stripping Israel’s UN credentials as was done to apartheid South Africa in the General Assembly, and then establishing a war crimes tribunal and anti-apartheid mechanisms,” she added.
“It’s time for us to demand that support for Palestine be maintained and that it not fade in the face of incredible US and Israeli opposition, intimidation, threats and bribes.”
The webinar’s participants criticized the US denial of visas to Palestinian leaders to attend the UNGA’s 80th session in New York later this month.
When the same thing happened in 1988, “the entire General Assembly voted to pick up and move to Geneva in order to express its sovereignty, (declaring that) no single member state will dictate to it,” said Ali Abunimah, a Palestinian-American journalist and co-founder of The Electronic Intifada website.
He added that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has failed to challenge last week’s US decision to deny entry to Palestinian leaders.
The coalition will convene a follow-up webinar on Sunday. Its website is www.lifelineforpalestine.com.