The International Criminal Court’s (ICC) decision to seek warrants on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has triggered a strong backlash both from the Biden administration and a group of pro-Israeli Senators in the US Congress. The names in the ICC arrest warrants also include Yahya
Author: Thalif Deen, IPS
Will Israel defy another Security Council resolution?
The UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution for a temporary cease-fire in the ongoing conflict in Gaza— adopted by a 14-0 vote with the US abstaining –- marks a significant step forward in momentarily halting the five-month-old fighting which has claimed the lives of over 32,000 Palestinians and 1,200 inside Israel. But
Court arrests fourth suspected Crocus City Hall attacker Fayzov
Speaking at the third Summit for Democracy in South Korea last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that a malicious “flood” of disinformation is threatening the world’s democracies—triggered in part by the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). But AI is also a critical arena in which democracy is being
UN’s credibility at stake as Russia, Israel continue to remain defiant
The two devastating military conflicts—Russia vs Ukraine and Israel vs Hamas—have exposed once again the stark reality that the United Nations, created 79 years ago to maintain international peace and security, has failed in its political mission – while its credibility is at stake. Russia is accused of violating the UN
Is the reform of UN Security Council a good try in a lost cause?
The myriads of proposals for the reform of the much-maligned Security Council have been kicked around the United Nations for more than two decades—with no significant progress. Speaking at the General Assembly’s (GA) annual debate, GA President Dennis Francis told delegates last November that without structural reform, the Council’s performance and
Is it time for Palestine to be voted UN member state?
The atrocities against Palestinians in a ruthlessly devastated Gaza — with over 21,000 mostly civilian deaths in retaliation to the killings of 1,200 inside Israel —have resurrected a longstanding question: is it time for Palestine to be recognized as a full-fledged UN member state? The question has also been triggered by
UN staffers face threat of being forced out of the US at retirement
Going back to the 1970s, thousands of UN staffers were given legal status opting for permanent residency in the US– after their retirement. But that longstanding privilege now seems to be in jeopardy forcing retirees to return to their home countries uprooting their lives in the US. The United States Immigration and
Drop your nuclear bomb on Gaza and exterminate us: Palestinians
The unrestrained destruction of Gaza and the disproportionate killings of over 17,000, mostly civilians– in retaliation for 1,200 killings by Hamas and 120 hostages in captivity– have left the Palestinians in a state of deep isolation and weighed down by a feeling of being deserted by the world at large. The
CSOs seek UN initiative on democracy as autocracy is on the rise
The rise in authoritarianism worldwide has prompted a coalition of over 85 civil society organizations (CSOs) to call on the Geneva-based Human Rights Council to appoint a Special Rapporteur—an independent UN expert– to protect democracy and reverse its decline. The joint appeal comes ahead of the 75th anniversary of the Universal
Arms suppliers to Israel & Hamas should face war crime charges
The killings of thousands of civilians in the ongoing Middle East conflict are largely the result of an uneven battle—a nuclear-armed Israel, equipped with some of the most sophisticated American weapons systems, fighting a rag-tag militant group, Hamas. Against this backdrop, a leading human rights organization, is appealing to Israel’s key