US blocks any action against Israel: UN rapporteur

Press TV has conducted an interview with Richard Falk, UN special rapporteur from Santa Barbara, to ask for his insight on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency’s new report on the impact of Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip on reconstruction of Palestinian territories.

The following is a transcription of the interview.

Press TV: Time and again we've seen reports by Amnesty International and also the United Nations denouncing Israel's excessive use of force against Palestinians and also the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza; yet the international community has failed to take solid actions to resolve the situation, why is that so?

Falk: Well, I think it’s a shocking oversight on the part of the international community. It’s explained largely by the way the UN functions which is to give the permanent members of the Security Council a veto power and beyond that the capacity to block behind the scenes any kind of initiative they’re opposed to.

And the United States as an unconditional supporter of Israel on matters of this sort has successfully insulated Israel from effective countermeasures that might challenge it to lift the blockade, allow reconstruction of the damage that was done in 2014 and permit Palestinians living in Gaza to have a minimally humane life.

Press TV: Well, I don’t know whether you were watching the previous interview I had with Bruce Kutz, the co-president of the Palestinian and Jewish Unity. He said Israel is isolated. Do you believe Israel is isolated or actually being given impunity by its biggest ally, the United States?

Falk: Well, interestingly I think both contradictory assertions are accurate and illuminate the peculiar nature of the situation. On the one side, Israel is the object of the most intense popular movement in civil society and probably has the most negative feelings generated on the part of governments around the world.

At the same time, because of the geopolitical primacy of the US, it is effectively insulated, as I’ve said, from any kind of response from the international community that might challenge its unlawful and cruel behavior.

Press TV: What do you think about the role of media -- and we’re talking about the role of Western mainstream media when it comes to raising awareness about this issue -- and how much biased they have the world’s covering the stories related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?

Falk: Well, I think overall the Western media and particularly in the United States has been very pro-Israeli and has more or less followed the line of the US government.

Israel enjoys what is called a special relationship with the United States, which means in effect that the US defends Israel in any way that it can, not only militarily but also diplomatically and that means it blocks action at the UN and in international diplomatic circles.

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