Biden support for Israeli actions in Gaza ‘losing him respect worldwide’, says Mary Robinson

Mary Robinson has said US president Joe Biden’s support for Israel’s actions in Gaza is “losing him respect all over the world”.

Speaking ahead of Monday’s UN Security Council vote on humanitarian aid to Gaza, the former president said Israel’s assault on Gaza was making the United States “increasingly isolated”.

“President Biden’s support for Israel’s indiscriminate bombing of Gaza is losing him respect all over the world. The US is increasingly isolated, with allies like Australia, Canada, India, Japan and Poland switching their votes in the UN General Assembly to support an immediate humanitarian ceasefire,” she said.

The UN Security Council was due to vote again on Monday on a resolution to increase and monitor the humanitarian aid urgently needed in Gaza to save lives, and the United States “cannot afford to be further isolated by vetoing this resolution”, she said.

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The Security Council postponed the vote calling for a sustainable cessation of hostilities to give more time to meet US objections to the wording of the draft resolution last night.

Even if passed, such resolutions were “not enough”, Mrs Robinson said.

United Nations Security Council resolution 2712, agreed last month, was not being fully implemented, she said, as it calls for the protection of civilians, the release of all hostages and immediate humanitarian access.

“Only a ceasefire will allow for these calls to be met,” Mrs Robinson said.

“It is negotiation that has led to Israeli hostages being released. Israeli military action has caused the deaths of Israeli hostages, as well as thousands of Palestinian civilians.

“The destruction of Gaza is making Israel less safe. President Biden’s continuing support for Israel’s actions is also making the world less safe, the security council less effective and US leadership less respected. It is time to stop the killing.”

The head of the World Health Organisation meanwhile thanked Ireland for its “moral leadership” on the Israeli bombardment of Gaza.

Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus made the comments during a visit to Dublin ahead of a pandemic convention.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said that he hoped diplomatic efforts would be made in the coming days and weeks to push for a humanitarian ceasefire after the UK and Germany strengthened their stance.

UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron and his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock said in a joint article for the Sunday Times that efforts must be made to “pave the way to a sustainable ceasefire”, and that “the sooner it comes, the better”.

Meanwhile, US defence secretary Lloyd Austin held talks with Israeli officials about the tactics in use in the war, encouraging a shift away from large-scale aerial and ground operations and towards precise targeting of Hamas leaders.

After meeting the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his defence counterpart, Yoav Gallant, in Tel Aviv on Monday, he said that protecting Palestinian civilians in Gaza was “both a moral duty and a strategic imperative”.

Washington, Israel’s closest ally, has provided intense military and diplomatic cover for the war in Gaza, where the death toll is approaching 20,000, but last week Mr Biden warned that Israel was losing international support because of its “indiscriminate bombing”. -Additional reporting by PA/Guardian

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