Cairo, Egypt – The Council of the Arab League, in an extraordinary session held on Thursday, tasked its UN group with exploring steps to freeze Israel’s participation in the UN General Assembly. This move comes in response to Israel’s alleged failure to adhere to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.
The Palestinian Permanent Representative to the Arab League welcomed the decision, emphasizing that Israel’s actions as a colonial power threaten international peace and security and do not align with the commitments required by the UN Charter.
“Today, the Arab League council at the level of permanent representatives has decided clearly to start the procedures of freezing Israel’s participation in the United Nations General Assembly as a colonial power, a power that firstly, threatens international peace and security, and doesn’t commit to the United Nations Charter nor did it fulfil the terms of its membership in the United Nations,” the representative stated. He further noted, “A step like this step is what ended, brought down and eliminated the colonial regime in South Africa.”
Historical precedent exists for such actions. On December 16, 1974, the UN General Assembly recommended excluding South Africa from participation in international organizations, significantly impacting the Apartheid regime. That same year, the General Assembly, chaired by the Algerian Foreign Minister, refused to recognize the credentials of the South African delegation.
The call for Israel’s exclusion comes amidst a severe escalation in the Palestinian death toll, which has surged past 38,000, predominantly affecting women and children. Additionally, the United Nations secretary-general recently added the Israeli armed forces to the “list of shame” of warring parties committing grave violations against children in armed conflict, citing an estimated 87,000 people wounded in the ongoing violence.
