WESTERN DOUBLE-STANDARDS AT UN

African Stream looks at South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor's comments in September 2022 regarding the West deciding when to pay attention to African voices.

Pandor argued the Russian military operation in Ukraine sparked questions about UN Security Council members' veto powers, while the UN General Assembly's resolutions are not legally binding.

Not only has the West granted Israel political cover, it has also provided military and economic aid as Israel continues a campaign that has killed nearly 32,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since 7 October.

The United States has vetoed multiple calls for a ceasefire at the UN, and it has sent $573 million of publicly funded weapons to Israel. Meanwhile, the Washington Post recently reported 100 US arms sales to Israel did not require congressional approval because the individual sale amounts were lower than the $25 million and $100 million thresholds for various types of equipment. The US House of Representatives and Senate are mulling $32 billion in additional aid on top of the $3.8 billion annually given to Israel.

While the US is the biggest aid provider to Israel, the European Union has also funded the state. For example, in January, Germany pledged 10,000 tank shells to Israel.

Compare the West's position on Israel to the wide range of punitive measures imposed against Russia in early 2022. As always, we'd love to hear from you.