'Contrary to UN Charter's letter & spirit': why US said 'no' to Palestinian statehood

Washington’s refusal to recognize a Palestinian state is not surprising given the warm relations between America and Israel, Professor Alfred de Zayas, former UN independent expert on international order and author of 10 books, including "The Human Rights Industry" and "Building a Just World Order," told Sputnik.

“After the US administration made the unwise decision to form an alliance with Israel, this effectively meant subordinating American interests to those of the Jewish state," the expert said.

Thus, it was predictable that situations would arise in which the US "would be bound to support geopolitically unwise policies, abuse the veto power in the [UN] Security Council, and act contrary to the letter and spirit of the UN Charter," Zayas said.

"Saying a good word about the right of Palestinians to have their own state, the idea of seeing the Palestinians as human beings ennoscriptd to the same human rights as we claim for ourselves, is rejected by the [US] mainstream media," the professor added.

The US on Thursday vetoed Palestine's bid for full membership in the United Nations during a Security Council vote, a move Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas denounced as "unfair, immoral and unjustified."

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An unknown man threatening to blow himself up has locked himself in a building opposite the Iranian consulate in Paris, the area is cordoned off by police, according to Radio Europe 1.

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History will remember the actions of the United States against Palestine's accession to the United Nations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a briefing.

"Palestine already applied in 2011 [to join the UN], then the UN Security Council suspended the decision due to the opposition of the United States. Now, 13 years later, again because of the US veto, the Palestinian application to join the organization has been rejected, the dream of the Palestinian people, which has existed for decades, has been ruthlessly destroyed. History and the peoples of the world will remember these actions of the United States against all odds," Lin Jian said.

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❗️In the Donetsk area, the Russian Army repelled seven attacks by Ukrainian troops during the week. Ukrainian losses amounted to 3,550 troops.

🇷🇺🪖 Other statements from the Russian Defense Ministry's weekly briefing on the progress of the special military operation in Ukraine:

▪️ In the Kupyansk region, Russian forces repelled 11 attacks by Ukrainian troops

▪️ In the Avdeyevka area, the Russian Armed Forces repelled 53 attacks of Ukrainian troops. Ukrainian losses amounted to 2,170 soldiers

▪️ The Russian forces destroyed three Ukrainian MiG-29 fighters and four An-26 military transport planes at their home airfield.

▪️ Russian forces destroyed two air target guidance radars and four S-300 air defense systems, a German-made "iris-t" air defense system.

▪️ Russia's aviation and air defense shot down ten ATACMS, six Storm Shadow, two HARM, 2 Dot-y missiles, 78 Himars, Vampire and Hurricane missiles and 1278 drones.

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Police have detained a man who locked himself in the Iranian consulate in Paris with an explosive device, according to French media.

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📹🔥 A "Gvozdika" self-propelled gun crew destroyed a camouflaged Ukrainian stronghold in the Donetsk People's Republic.

Scouts revealed the enemy's camouflaged positions with the help of drones. The gunners, having received the coordinates of the firing points, immediately opened fire on them.

The exact defeat of the target was confirmed by objective control footage from the drone.

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For the record: UN Security Council voting on Palestinian UN membership

The US vetoed and blocked a draft resolution on the admission of Palestine as a full member of the organization.

Twelve countries voted in favor of the resolution: Russia, China, France, Japan, South Korea, Ecuador, Algeria, Malta, Slovenia, Sierra Leone, Mozambique and Guyana.

Two other countries, the UK and Switzerland, abstained.

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Biden administration considers providing Israel with more than $1 billion in arms: media

This could be the largest aid package since the beginning of the Israeli operation in the Gaza Strip, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing US officials.

In addition, Congress is considering sending tank ammunition, military transport aircraft and mortar shells, which would take months or even years because of additional coordination.

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📹 Watch the full interview with Russian FM Sergey Lavrov with Sputnik, Komsomolskaya Pravda and Govorit Moskva on our Telegram channel!

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The West is one step away from sending troops to Ukraine, which could drag Europe down with it, Brussels is playing with fire, said Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

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