Al-Ahram Weekly | Opinion | Soapbox: Doing no favours

		Al-Ahram Weekly Online 30 August - 5 September 2001 Issue No.549
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875		Current issue \| Previous issue \| Site map

Doing no favours
By Salah Montasser
Many Western countries behave as if, in asking them to intervene against Israel, the Arabs are asking them a favour. Yet intervention is in fact these countries' duty, since the world community cannot sensibly endorse Israeli actions however staunchly the US supports Israel.
Countries that emerged in the 20th century were either former colonies gaining hard-won independence or, like Pakistan and Bangladesh, the results of separatist movements. Israel, the pariah of 20th-century states, was founded on the basis of a vote, since the declaration of Israeli statehood followed General Assembly Resolution 181, issued on 29 November 1947, two years after the UN was founded.
At that time the General Assembly boasted no more than 57 member states (as against 189 today). Of these, 33 voted for the foundation of Israel; 11 abstained; and 13 voted against it. The resolution decreed the division of Palestine into two entities; and, since it was a development unprecedented in world history, the Arabs refused to implement the resolution. The Jews, by contrast, sought the support of the West, principally France and Britain. When the balance of power shifted, Israeli policy adjusted accordingly. The Israeli government now depends on the US in the way it depended on France and Britain half a century ago.
It is only fair, therefore, to call on the Western countries to help solve the problems Israel's existence in the region has caused. If not for the world community, whose duty is to uphold justice and human rights, Israel would never have existed. To demand positive intervention on the part of Western countries is the right of all humanity. Such intervention is most certainly not a favour.
This week's Soapbox speaker is a columnist for Al-Ahram.

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