Monrovia — On Wednesday, Liberia abstained from voting as the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) overwhelmingly passed a resolution demanding an immediate end to Israel's occupation of Palestine within 12 months. The resolution was passed despite opposition from the United States, which joined Israel and 12 other countries in voting against it.
The vote came in the middle of an emergency special session of the UNGA that was considering Israel's actions in the occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the occupied Palestine territories against the backdrop of the conflict in Gaza.
More than 40 countries sponsored the resolution, which was the first that Palestinians filed after being granted unprecedented privileges for non-UN members earlier this year.
Liberia's decision to abstain, along with countries like Rwanda, Germany, and the United Kingdom, highlights its reluctance to take a firm stance on this contentious issue, despite its historical alignment with U.S. foreign policy.
This mirrors Liberia's handling of a similar situation under ex-President George Weah, where the country controversially voted against a UN ceasefire resolution in Gaza, only for Weah to later distance himself from that decision and reverse it.
Weah, however, instructed then-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dee-Maxwell Kemayah, to rescind the vote. The former Liberian leader also clarified that his decision not to vote in line with Israel is not an indication that he was going against America - Israel's strongest ally.
"The vote is not against America. I've always voted for America, voted for anything they wanted. I have never gone against the United States before because I have no reason to go against the United States. We have a doctrine that the United States is our ally and the friends of our ally are our allies. So, we vote for them when necessary," he said.
The resolution was passed with a 124-14 margin, with 43 abstentions, and seeks to reinforce the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) July advisory opinion. The ICJ declared Israel's presence in the territories beyond the 1949 armistice line to be illegal.
The occupied territories include the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza, which have been a long-standing point of contention in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The resolution serves to amplify international opposition to Israel's activities in these territories and is part of broader efforts to seek accountability and adherence to international law.
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Liberia hardly abstained on most resolutions related to the US as their long-standing bilateral relationship remains something of interest to the West African State.
Political pundits say while the country's abstention avoids direct opposition to either side, it signals Liberia's reluctance to take a firm position on one of the most contentious issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Israeli's response
Israel has not participated in the ICJ hearings related to this matter, arguing that such proceedings could harm peace efforts. However, the international community's stance, as reflected in the UNGA resolution, isolates Israel politically on this issue.
There has been public sentiment and advocacy on X, formerly known as Twitter. Some users highlighted the non-binding nature of UNGA resolutions, suggesting that while it sets a strong international norm, practical enforcement remains challenging.
This series of events underscores a pivotal moment in the international legal and political approach to the Israeli occupation, with the UNGA's resolution marking a significant, though non-binding, step towards demanding an end to the occupation within a specified timeframe.
