JUNE 22 ― The Israeli ‘war cabinet,’ which was supposed to shield decisions of war from ultra-rightwing elements of the volatile governing coalition, has been dissolved by Netanyahu. The calls from ultra-Zionist, bloodthirsty ministers in the larger cabinet for an escalation of genocide and ethnic cleansing until the bitter end will now be more significant than they already were.
Netanyahu is politically hanging on for dear life, with his increasingly untenable rift with the military and segments of his cabinet. His failures as the prime minister have made the Israeli citizens deeply dissatisfied and angered. There are even talks of a covert hostile political coup de grace in the works to replace Netanyahu with someone more obedient to ‘other powers.’ All may not be well with the Netanyahu genocidal regime; nevertheless, the war crimes will continue or escalate for as long as he is still the prime minister.
All this drama is distracting the world from the real issue. Palestinians continue to die by the thousands because the Zionist regime is committing ethnic cleansing in direct contempt and contravention of a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution compelling an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
The recent UNSC resolution 2375 marks a pivotal moment in the quest for peace. However, after the resolution, the language of defiance by Israeli ministers and officials, and even the escalation of Israeli genocidal war crimes, sends a clear message that Israel has little intention of abiding by the US-sponsored resolution.
Hamas has openly accepted the resolution, as reported by several reputable international news portals, and has apparently expressed willingness to negotiate the details. But the Qatari and Egyptian mediators have their work cut out for them.
We have even seen leaks by anonymous Israeli officials hard at work manufacturing a propaganda frame for an imaginary impending rejection by the Palestinian side, who is asking for ‘unworkable amendments’ to the US-proposed deal. That is but all in a day's work for a Zionist genocidal machinery.
The prospect of Israel ignoring this resolution is real. It could unleash catastrophic consequences. If Israel were to ignore it and continue the ethnic cleansing despite the resolution, what will be the potential fallout for the people of the Middle East, the United Nations, and the global order?
Intensification of the humanitarian crisis
One of the alleged reasons why Netanyahu disbanded the war Cabinet was because he disagreed with the rest of the war Cabinet on opening a daily humanitarian window to deliver aid. International aid efforts will now be harder than before. The number of people killed by hunger and disease due to starvation from food and medicine will soon match or even surpass those murdered by drone attacks, bombs, and bullets.
If the ceasefire resolution is ignored, what now remains barely habitable — which is no more than the southern quarter of the entire Gaza strip — will also inevitably be fully terrorised and rendered uninhabitable by bombardment and Zionist massacre.
The resolution by what is supposed to be the most powerful organ of the highest multilateral body in the current global order aimed at alleviating this suffering, if ignored by Israel, will expose the UNSC as absolutely toothless for the world to see.
Unlike all previous genocides and war crimes against humanity, the Gaza massacre is under intense global scrutiny, with widespread social media and mainstream media coverage highlighting uncensored horrors and atrocities. The failure to enforce the resolution and its visibility would not only exacerbate the humanitarian crisis irreversibly but also create an ultimate confidence and existential crisis towards the very institution of the current global order.
Security risks and regional destabilisation
The continuation of the current genocidal actions in Gaza would escalate regional tensions. The already fragile Middle East could become a massive tinderbox, with increased violence breeding the rise of more extremist elements, further destabilising neighbouring countries. Like a wildfire, the repercussions of prolonged fighting could lead to widespread deaths and casualties, costing thousands more innocent lives.
The UNSC's inability to arrest Israel's persistence with the genocide against the Palestinian people will have potential spillover effects, including increased opportunistic terrorism, unprecedented refugee flows, and broader regional conflicts igniting wider regional instability. What more with a nakedly impotent UNSC?
The United Nations will be in crisis if it fails to enforce its resolutions. The UNSC's inability to act decisively would demonstrate its own loss of legitimacy. This weakness is a license for other nations, especially rogue ones, to disregard international law, eroding the principles of multilateralism and collective security that the UN stands for.
Calls for Security Council reform are more poignant and urgent than ever before. Leaders from Africa and Asia — amplified fiercely by Malaysia — have emphasised the need for a more equitable and representative Council. The over-representation of countries from the bygone unipolar transatlantic supremacy and the arbitrary use of veto power have led to demands for changes that reflect current geopolitical realities. Without reform, the UN risks becoming irrelevant in the face of contemporary global challenges.
The UN’s inability to maintain global peace and security would be the least of its worries; it is the legitimacy and very existence of the UN itself that is under threat by Israel's insolence and absolute contempt towards the rule of international and humanitarian law. Worse still, doing so by invoking the name of Holocaust victims, holding the world at ransom.
Shifting global alliances and the erosion of multilateralism
Israel's contemptuous refusal to comply with resolution 2375 could very well trigger a realignment of global alliances. Countries such as Turkey, which has increasingly distanced itself from Western policies, may seek closer ties with Russia and China. The enlarging BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa), of which the prime minister has alluded to Malaysia's intention to join, have already shown some efficacy in counterbalancing Western influences.
African Union member states, increasingly frustrated with their underrepresentation in the UN, may align more closely with non-Western power blocs, seeking to leverage their collective bargaining power for greater influence on the global stage.
All that is well and good, to break power monopolisation. But, as a staunch supporter of meaningful reform to the current world order and not a revolutionary dismantling of it, the ground reeks of a stench of fertility for a hostile change towards a different new world of disorder.
The erosion of multilateralism could have catastrophic consequences for global governance. The international community relies on cooperative mechanisms to address complex global challenges such as climate change, terrorism, and economic inequality. A paralysed UN would struggle to coordinate effective responses to these issues, leading to a more chaotic and unstable world.
Why this contravention is different
What makes the potential contravention of Resolution 2735 particularly severe and unprecedented is the current geopolitical climate and the heightened global attention on Gaza. Unlike previous UNSC resolutions, Resolution 2735 has garnered broad international consensus, including support from both the United States and Russia — typically opposing members. This rare unanimity underscores the critical nature of the resolution and the global urgency for a ceasefire.
Furthermore, the resolution comes at a time when Gaza is more visible than ever, with global media coverage and public opinion heavily focused on the plight of civilians, women, and children. The failure to enforce such a widely supported resolution presents a unique and significant threat to the foundational principles of the UN and the rule-based international order.
Navigating a perilous future
The Zionist regime's recalcitrant decision to ignore the UN resolution would have profound and far-reaching consequences.
The institution, spirit, and multilateral primacy of the United Nations since its inception may be ruined by Israel's actions, and the modern world's rule-based order could be singlehandedly dismantled by Israel and its allies.
The international community must act decisively to preserve the principles of global governance and ensure that peace and stability have a fighting chance of being maintained. The stakes are high, and the world must rise to the occasion to navigate this critical juncture in global affairs.
Nothing less than an arms blockade and naval Interdiction against Israel must be the next step the UN has to take, in preventing the sale and transfer of weapons and military equipment to Israel. This is the only way, and a proportionate response to Israel's contempt of the UNSC Resolution 2375 to arrest any further ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people by this self-imploding Zionist regime.
Some would say this is impossible. But then so was a US sponsored UNSC ceasefire resolution just a few weeks ago.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
