US veto confirms its responsibility for Israel’s crimes in Gaza

On Wednesday, the US vetoed a UN Security Council resolution calling for an “immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire” in Gaza. Although the draft also demanded “the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages,” the US UN representative said that was not enough. The vote was 14-1 in favor of the resolution, but it was not adopted because of the US veto.

The US move is inexplicable, considering the continuing humanitarian catastrophe visited by Israel on the people of Gaza. Health officials on Wednesday put the death toll from Israeli attacks at 43,985 people so far, the majority civilians, in addition to countless more missing under the rubble of their homes and many more injured and maimed for life. Almost all Gazans, more than 2 million of them, have been displaced, some multiple times since the war started last year.

The veto is a dangerous move because it will certainly be understood by Israeli officials as a green light to continue their onslaught. It could thus be seen as aiding and abetting the atrocities being committed by Israel.

The arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court on Thursday have provided further proof of the crimes committed by Israel. The court’s Pre-Trial Chamber unanimously agreed to issue warrants for the arrest of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, “for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024, the day the prosecution filed the applications for warrants of arrest.”

Given the overwhelming evidence of Israel’s criminal behavior, the US administration now appears to be an accessory to those crimes, if not an active accomplice and partner.

The administration’s responsibility is compounded when you take into account that it continues to provide Israel with the arms used in committing those crimes.

The veto is a dangerous move because it will certainly be understood by Israeli officials as a green light to continue their onslaught

Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg

In addition to the International Criminal Court warrants regarding war crimes and crimes against humanity, there is mounting evidence of genocide being carried out in Gaza, for which the US administration would also be liable, as it has failed to stop it and has provided Israel with the means to carry it out. The International Court of Justice is deliberating the matter, but it said there was a plausible case of genocide as early as January. Since then, there has been more evidence and experts have weighed in convincingly in that direction.

Amos Goldberg, an expert on genocide and professor of Holocaust history at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, has argued that Israel is in fact committing the crime of genocide. In April, he wrote a blistering article titled “Yes, it is genocide” in Hebrew in an Israeli publication. “Although it is so difficult and painful to admit this and despite all efforts to think otherwise, at the end of six months of a brutal war it is no longer possible to escape this conclusion … What is happening in Gaza is genocide because the level and pace of indiscriminate killing, destruction, mass expulsions, displacement, famine, executions, the wiping out of cultural and religious institutions, the crushing of elites (including the killing of journalists), and the sweeping dehumanization of the Palestinians — create an overall picture of genocide, of a deliberate conscious crushing of Palestinian existence in Gaza,” he wrote.

Goldberg wrote this more than six months ago. The crimes he described have only become more evident and more devastating since.

Aryeh Neier, America’s most prominent advocate of human rights and civil liberties, came to the conclusion that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza, citing its obstruction of the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Gaza since the start of the war. Born in Nazi Germany in 1937, Neier is a Holocaust survivor and author of important works on human rights who has dedicated his life to the promotion of human rights, including the prevention of genocide and prosecution of human rights violators. He was the head of the American Civil Liberties Union, the largest advocate for civil rights in the US. In 1978, he co-founded Human Rights Watch, the US’ largest global human rights monitoring group. He was also instrumental in the move to establish the International Criminal Court in 2002.

First in an article in the New York Review of Books in June, and since in several media interviews, Neier said that he had come to that conclusion in the face of the incontrovertible evidence of Israel’s culpability of genocide. Goldberg and Neier’s conclusions have been corroborated by extensive evidence provided by international organizations operating in Gaza.

There is mounting evidence of genocide being carried out in Gaza, for which the US administration would also be liable

Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg

Article IV of the Genocide Convention of 1948 makes it imperative for all states to take measures to prevent, stop and punish the crime of genocide, including by punishing its perpetrators, “whether they are constitutionally responsible rulers, public officials or private individuals.” This duty is incumbent on states whenever there is sufficient evidence of the crime of genocide being committed and does not need a final conclusion by the International Court of Justice, which has already found that there was a plausible case of genocide. Thursday’s International Criminal Court decision, reports by international organizations in the field and expert conclusions all point in the same direction.

In the face of these serious accusations, the US should, at the very least, allow the UN Security Council to pass a resolution calling for a ceasefire, which is a minimal ask given the enormity of the atrocities being committed against the people of Gaza.

Since the beginning of the conflict, the US has used its veto power several times to shield Israel from censure. Reacting to Wednesday’s veto, Human Rights Watch said: “Once again, the US used its veto to ensure impunity for Israel as its forces continue to commit crimes against Palestinians in Gaza.” Many countries have echoed this statement, roundly criticizing the US veto.

In addition to giving Israel the nod to continue its violation of Gaza, the decision to block the UN vote will further damage the US’ reputation in the region, as it provides further evidence of blind support for Israel’s brutal war, eroding what remains of the goodwill and support for America in the region and globally. It also weakens the US’ attempts to promote human rights and respect for the rule of international law in other parts of the world.

• Dr. Abdel Aziz Aluwaisheg is the Gulf Cooperation Council assistant secretary-general for political affairs and negotiation. The views expressed here are personal and do not necessarily represent the GCC. X: @abuhamad1