Bravo Uzbekistan
149-3-2; 139-1-3; 92-2-53; 108-3-48; 107-3-47; and 151-3-2 What are they? Well, they might be terrific college football coaching records. They might be good lottery picks. They might be bank vault combinations. But they aren’t.
They actually represent a day’s work for the UN General Assembly, mucking around in the Middle East — an area in which mischievous and irrelevant are the nicest adjectives one can ascribe. On 1 December, the GA passed six non-binding resolutions, the most interesting element of which is the voting pattern of some of America’s friends.
149-3-2; 139-1-3; 92-2-53; 108-3-48; 107-3-47; and 151-3-2 What are they? Well, they might be terrific college football coaching records. They might be good lottery picks. They might be bank vault combinations. But they aren’t.
They actually represent a day’s work for the UN General Assembly, mucking around in the Middle East — an area in which mischievous and irrelevant are the nicest adjectives one can ascribe. On 1 December, the GA passed six non-binding resolutions, the most interesting element of which is the voting pattern of some of America’s friends.
1. On a “peaceful settlement” involving “land for peace” 149 – for 3-against (U.S., Israel, Marshall Islands) 2-abstained (Micronesia, Uzbekistan)
2. On the illegality of Israel’s position in Jerusalem 139 – for 1-against (Israel) 3 – abstained (U.S., Swaziland, Uzbekistan)
3. On the illegality of Israeli civilian law applied to the Golan Heights in 1981 92 – for 2-against (U.S., Israel) 53- abstained* (Includes Uzbekistan)
4. On the exercise of the “inalienable rights of the Palestinian People” 108 – for 3 – against (U.S., Israel, Marshall Islands) 48 – abstained* (Includes Uzbekistan)
5. On continuing the work of the Secretariat’s “Palestinian Rights” Division 107 – for 3 – against (U.S., Israel, Marshall Islands) 47 – abstained* (Includes Uzbekistan)
6. On the Dept. of Public Information’s Special Project on Palestine 151 – for 3 – against (U.S., Israel, Marshall Islands) 2 – abstained (Micronesia, Uzbekistan)
*The large number of abstention is due to a unified EU position calling the GA approach “outdated.” A number of non-EU countries followed their lead.
Bravo Uzbekistan! Since every country seems willing to judge Israel, it surely wasn’t easy to announce an abstention. More than 20 countries were absent rather than record any position. And some voted against Israel less out of ill will than thinking that non-binding resolutions don’t matter. Where your friends stand always matters.
JINSA visited Uzbekistan last month precisely because we understood that the Uzbek government was determined to pursue a pro-American and pro-Israel foreign policy. And so they are. The Administration and Congress should respond accordingly.