War on Gaza expose East-West divide, global double standards: Qatar FM
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The Qatari Foreign Minister expressed regret that certain individuals perceive attacks on civilians as acceptable.
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Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani listens to a question with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Doha, Qatar, Friday, Oct. 13, 2023 (AP)
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Sunday remarked that the persistent war on Gaza has exposed a significant disparity between the East and the West, along with evident double standards in addressing global issues.
"The conflict in the Gaza Strip has exposed a huge gap between the East and the West, it has also revealed double standards on similar international issues. When those who oppose the occupation in one case remain silent and do not call for joint international action to end the violence and occupation in another case," Al Thani said in a welcoming speech at the Doha Forum in Qatar.
He stated that the war between "Israel" and the Palestinian resistance isn't rooted in religion but revolves around the right to self-determination. He expressed regret that certain individuals perceive attacks on civilians as acceptable.
HE @MBA_AlThani_ Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Opening Ceremony of the Twenty-First Edition of the Doha Forum: The unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe that is happening in Gaza is prompting free peoples around the world to ask legitimate questions about… pic.twitter.com/ibXwoiCMiq
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) December 10, 2023
Elsewhere in his remarks, the Prime Minister called the situation in Gaza an "unprecedented humanitarian disaster" which is prompting the world to ask "some legitimate questions about the nature of the international systems and the efficiency of the legal instruments and its principles".
"These questions become more important and more pressing as we continue to see the horrifying scenes that we might sometimes have to look away from," he added, noting the importance of countering those "who want to reformulate the conflict in the form of a religious war."
The war "remains an issue of the occupation and its demands. Over the decades, the option of peace was on the table, but it was the victim of procrastination and formation," he added.
Since the start of the war on Gaza, Qatar played a crucial role in mediating talks for the release of Israeli captives and Palestinian prisoners.
Read more: Qatari PM meets with Jared Kushner in NY over Hamas ties: Axios
UN 'paralyzed by divisions'
During Qatar’s Doha Forum, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated that the UN Security Council is "paralyzed by geostrategic divisions," which is impeding an effective solution to stop the bloodshed in Gaza.
The Secretary-General expressed disappointment regarding the UNSC's inability to implement a ceasefire, stating geopolitical divisions paralyze the “UNSC, its credibility undermined by the inability to pass a resolution urging a Gaza ceasefire.”
He added, “Regrettably, the Security Council failed to do it…I can promise, I will not give up... We are facing a severe risk of collapse of the humanitarian system”, as he declared that the situation is “deteriorating into a catastrophe with potentially irreversible implications for Palestinians as a whole and for peace and security in the region.”
