China backs Palestine membership, US calls for Yemen condemnation

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
29 Dec 2023 22:58
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On Friday, the United Nations Security Council held a meeting to navigate the situation in the Middle East, including the "Palestine question".

The symbol of the United Nations is displayed outside the Secretariat Building, Feb. 28, 2022, at United Nations Headquarters. (AP)

On Friday, the United Nations Security Council held a meeting to navigate the situation in the Middle East, including the "Palestine question". China and the US both presented major takeaways, further discussed below.

China supports Palestine's full membership in the UN

Geng Shuang, the Chinese Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations, affirmed China's support of Palestine's full membership in the United Nations as an independent state of its own, as well as the reopening of negotiations between Palestine and the Israeli occupation.

“We support Palestine’s full membership in the UN and the early resumption of direct negotiations between Palestine and Israel,” Geng said.

Chinese Deputy Ambassador to the UN Geng Shuang stated that the illegal Israeli settlement activities in the West Bank and other occupied territories, along with raids and searches, constitute a grave violation of UN Security Council resolution 2334 and undermine the foundation for a "two-state solution" to the "Israeli-Palestinian conflict".

"Israel's settlement activities in the West Bank and other occupied territories, and its continued escalation of raids, searches, and settler violence constitute a grave violation of Council resolution 2334 and erode the basis of the two-state solution," Geng said.

Previously, the Chinese foreign ministry reported that during talks with the First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Palestine, China's Special Envoy on the Middle East Issue Zhai Jun stated that "The way out of the vicious circle and the pacification of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict consists in returning to the Two States for Two Peoples plan, resuming peace talks, creating an independent Palestinian state and achieving peaceful coexistence between Palestine and Israel."

Moreover, in his speech during the China-Arab States Summit held last year in Saudi Arabia, Chinese President Xi Jinping considered that the way to peace and stability in the Middle East passes through Palestine, and the historical injustice suffered by the Palestinian people cannot continue indefinitely.

President Xi added that 'there can be no compromise on the national and legitimate rights of the Palestinian people' and affirmed that China supports Palestine's full membership in the United Nations as an independent state of its own.

For years, Beijing has sought to be a mediator between Palestine and "Israel", holding several talks between both sides to find a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian cause. Last June, it hosted Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit.

The US decries Yemen at the UNSC

Throughout the session, the United States, in complete disregard to its attempt at militarizing the Red Sea and turning it into a battlefield, called on the UNSC's condemnation of Yemen's actions in the Red Sea.

US Political Minister Counselor at the United Nations, John Kelley, said "We join other members of the Security Council in condemning the Houthis’ attacks on commercial shipping vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. We call for this council to speak out and take action against these attacks without delay."

Yemen declared that all Israeli-affiliated ships would be targeted in the Red Sea in support of the people of Gaza and Palestine, while ships with no ties to "Israel", be it in the cargo they're carrying or their destination, will not be a target for the Yemeni Armed Forces.

In response, the US attempted to offer a robust international reaction to Yemen's Armed Forces attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, by leading an anti-Sanaa maritime coalition coined "Operation Prosperity Guardian", but a week later, many allies are refusing to be affiliated with it, officially or otherwise.

Major member countries have announced stepping back or scaling down on commitment to the alliance, including France, which said it will not be operating under Washington's orders and will limit its operations to protect EU vessels, and Spain, which declared it will not participate entirely.

The Italian military ministry stated that it will deploy a ship to the Red Sea in response to requests from Italian ship owners, rather than as part of the US operation. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have previously said that they had no interest in the operation.

After all, "Israel" has killed more than 21,000 Palestinians and some nations are not as adamant on supporting the Israeli occupation as the US may be.