When the world fails Palestine

The ongoing Palestinian crisis is not just a regional tragedy; it's a test of the legitimacy of the international system. The UN was created after WWII to prevent aggression, promote self-determination and ensure full protection of civilians. Years of displacement, occupation, and outright war should demonstrate the inability or unwillingness of the UN to enforce its own resolutions.

There is no escaping the role of Western policy in this, particularly that of the United States. Year after year, Washington adds to its military and financial backing to Israel despite UN reports and human rights organisations repeatedly documenting violations of the international laws. The West insists on accountability in Ukraine and other conflicts, but donations to Israel continue unconditionally. The double standard fosters an embarrassment of trust in the international order and sends the message that some lives matter less than others.

Institutions like the International Criminal Court have demonstrated an inability and unwillingness to act in this arena. Conspicuously, the ICC is able to respond urgently in some theatres of war, but cannot act in the case of Palestine, showing a reticence to act due to foreseen political pressure. This selectivity of justice empowers the oppressor and restricts the recourse of the oppressed.

If the UN and its allied institutions cannot hold to the very rights for which they were established to protect, I think the international community should ask itself: what is their purpose? Palestine has become a condition of whether our framework for justice in our global system represents universal justice, or just self-serving Western interests.

Sultan Al Nahiyan Tahsin

SBE, Undergraduate

North South University

sultan.tahsin@northsouth,edu