Yesterday, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) voted in favour of a proposed resolution by Palestine, which has only recently been given full status, demanding that Israel end its occupation of Palestinian territories within a year. In total, 124 voted in favour of the resolution, with 14 voting against and 43 abstaining, including the UK.

In addition to demanding a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), the resolution also called for a complete halt to new settlement building, the return of seized land and property and the possibility of return for displaced Palestinians. Building on the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) ruling in July, which asserted that Israel’s occupation is illegal and build on apartheid policies, the UNGA resolution called for sanctions to be placed on Israel if it did not comply with its demands.

The vote shows clearly that the international community stands in solidarity with the people of Palestine in their struggle against Israeli occupation, settler colonialism and violence. It once again shows that the Palestinians are being held hostage by Israel and a small group of powerful states, the US chief among them.

Despite the Labour government’s claims that it wants to revive the peace process and promote a two-state solution – which it acknowledges is jeopardised by Israel’s occupation and settlement building –the UK, shamefully, still chose to abstain in the vote. According to Barbara Woodward, the UK’s ambassador to the UN, this was because the resolution does not provide “sufficient clarity to effectively advance our shared aim of a peace premised on a negotiated two-state solution.” While Israel continues to commit a genocide, which has killed over 41,000 in Gaza and 700 in the West Bank, and while its leaders continue to openly advocate for the occupation of the entirety of Historic Palestine, such a stance is both dishonourable and deceptive.

Reacting to the vote, Shamiul Joarder, Head of Public Affairs at Friends of Al-Aqsa, said, “The passing of the UNGA resolution on Wednesday is a historic moment that emphatically illustrates that the international community opposes Israel’s occupation and supports the cause of Palestinian liberation. By choosing to abstain from the vote, the UK has once again chosen to not add its voice to the growing chorus of opposition to Israel’s crimes. This cowardly move once again exposes the hypocrisy of the Labour government, which says one thing but continues to provide Israel with all forms of diplomatic and military support to further its genocidal project. The UNGA vote reaffirms our belief that we at Friends of Al-Aqsa, along with our allies in the Palestine solidarity movement, stand united with the majority of the world’s population. We will continue to pressure our government until it fulfils its international obligations and supports the cause of Palestinian self-determination.”