The purpose behind the creation of the United Nations (UN) was protecting the future generations from the scourge of war. However, the UN and, especially, the Security Council (SC), have many a time shown its inability to stop Israel from carrying on the systematic genocide of the Palestinians. And this inability has been continuing since the past seventy-one years. Nevertheless, the five European allies of the US including two permanent members of the SC, Britain and France, reiterating a joint statement in the SC meeting against Israel’s settlements a clear-cut violation of international law is welcome.

Statements like the one that US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo calling Israeli settlements not illegal undermines not only international law, but it also leaves UN a toothless organisation. The unanimous rebuke should show the US how unjust its statement in favour of Israel was. That said, it is worth mentioning that just issuing verbal condemnations are not enough. The SC members are well cognisant of the fact that the settlements are illegal. They may go to any length while rebuking the US for supporting Israel’s settlements only to bolster their humanitarian credentials.

But where their voice is urgently needed, they maintain a criminal silence. None of these states has taken any step when Israel continues to establish more settlements and kill Palestinians with impunity in the process. Is it Europe’s guilty Christian conscience that forces the European champions of human rights silent? Just in a week, Israeli attacks have resulted in the killing of at least 70 Palestinians. And the custodians of humanity did not move an inch from their comfort zones to stop Israeli brutalities against innocent Palestinians. It is this lack of ability to criticise Israeli actions that Israel’s UN ambassador, Danny Danon, supported the US action. He dared to say that the US statement “rights a historical wrong”.

Mr Danon went on to call the criticism of US’s statement an “an obstacle to peace”. At the end of the session, it was maintained that Israel’s settlement activities were eroding the viability of the two-state solution. But until and unless Israel doesn’t go back to pre-1967 borders, speaking of two-state solutions is just non-sense. And Israel is keen on not going back to pre-1967 borders. So in this situation, the SC is left with two options: either carrying on with rebuking Israel and the US or taking concrete steps to reign in Israel.