What's particularly notable is that US vetoed the resolution that Russia put out on the basis that it did not condemn Hamas. However, US also vetoed subsequent resolution by Brazil that did condemn Hamas without giving a coherent explanation for the second veto. The only conclusion that can be reasonably drawn here is that US regime wants people to suffer and die. US is intentionally enabling a genocide in Gaza against the will of the rest of the world.
I mean, that's part of the given justification for the veto, but it doesn't take a PhD in international relations to figure out that the real reason is obviously that both the US and Israel --and a number of other relevant players-- are currently knee-deep in operations and negotiations and that a cease fire, by changing the dynamic on the ground, would seriously screw those efforts.
My guess is that Israel has a plan that it wants to execute before implementing any cease-fire, and that the US is on-board with it for now.
Unlike most social media users, I don't feel like I know enough to take a position on whether this veto is morally justifiable or not. On its face it seems kind of lame, but I can easily think of reasons why it might actually be entirely justified. We will see.
@Luccajan basically the UN is a forum for dialogue and we need the big players to be part of it.
If they don't get veto on the security council they will have a tantrum and leave, which will benefit no one.
The superpowers already flout international law when they really want to, because there is nothing the rest of us can do to stop them, but it would probably be far worse if they weren't even part of the UN.
basically the UN is a forum for dialogue and we need the big players to be part of it.
Allowing the five biggest arms manufacturers on the planet to decide "security" issues is no different than allowing the five biggest drug cartels in the world to decide "health" issues.
I think mostly because the Allied Powers won WWII and got to make the rules. Often the argument is made that, by giving the nuclear-capable countries veto power, they’re less likely to use those weapons, but that might be more of a rationalization than the actual reason.
All it really boils down to is that the UN is toothless when trying to regulate any nuclear-armed country and any country or conflict a nuclear-armed country has an interest in. It absolutely sets certain countries apart in a multi-tiered system of international cooperation.
This is like asking for medical advice on a naturopathic forum; sure you might get some vaguely correct answers, but mostly it's just going to be a lot of feel-good nonsense from partisan idiots who want to see the world in black and white.
It would put Israel "on the back foot" in regards to the conflict. Israel would be tied up negotiating for hostage release which is exactly where Hamas wants them. It stops being a question of who is winning a battle and turns it into "how much is Israel willing to sacrifice".