US bottomless siding with Israel is in isolation

Cabinet received reports on progress made in the implementation of priority projects for the 3rd 100-Day Cycle of 2023, as presented by the Ministers of Industry and Commerce; Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services; Energy and Power Development; Foreign Affairs and International Trade.

The Minister of Industry and Commerce, Honourable S.G.G. Nyoni reported on progress recorded for projects under her purview as follows:

i. Pertaining to the resuscitation of David Whitehead Textiles Plant, Mashonaland West Province, the installation of spinning equipment at Kadoma plant is at 95% level of completion. The civil works and plant installations are at 85% and 80%, level respectively;

ii. The installation of Margarine Plant, at Willowton Zimbabwe in Mutare is at 95% level of completion;

iii. Installation of a Stockfeed plant at Davipel Pvt Ltd, in Harare is 95% complete and the commissioning is scheduled for the first week of April, 2024;

iv. Regarding installation of Civil Works for the chilled water plant at Dairiboard in Chipinge, is now 10% level of completion; and

v. Construction of Ferrochrome Production Plant by Zimbabwe Zhongxin Smelting Company, in Masvingo is 100% complete, while construction of the Power Substation is at 90% complete.

The Minister of Energy and Power Development, Hon. E. Moyo reported progress on projects under his Ministry’s purview as follows:

i. That the 82 km Alaska-Karoi (132kV line) Power Transmission Rehabilitation Projects is at 82% completion level;

ii. The Hakatwa Community Solar Project is at 70% completion and is set to be commissioned before the end of year;

iii. Construction of 2 000 metric tonnes Ruwa LPG Storage Facility has reached 100% of completion; and

iv. The Great Zimbabwe 5MW Mini Hydro Power plant is at 70% completion level and is on course to be commissioned by the 31st of January, 2024.

◆ Full story: www.herald.co.zw

ON October 18, the US vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict, but the draft resolution and the veto are very informative and telling.

First, the most prominent purpose of the resolution was to call for humanitarian pauses.

Secondly, the draft was drafted and submitted by Brazil to the Security Council.

Brazil condemned the killing of Israeli civilians by Hamas after the attack on October 7, and the draft submitted by Brazil to the Security Council “condemned all violence and hostilities against civilians and all acts of terrorism,” and “called for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.”

The draft urges all parties to comply fully with international law and calls on Israel to rescind its orders for the withdrawal of civilians and United Nations personnel to southern Gaza. Additionally, it calls for a humanitarian ceasefire and the establishment of humanitarian corridors.

Thirdly, 12 countries, including China, voted in favour of the resolution, with the UK and Russia abstaining and the US vetoing it by one vote.

China opposed and condemned acts that harm civilians after the conflict broke out and, like many Arab countries, did not take sides, obviously because both Israel and Hamas were killing civilians.

China’s support this time for the resolution that includes an explicit condemnation of Hamas’s killing of civilians does not contradict any previous stance taken.

The other 11 countries that voted in favour of the draft, include the United Arab Emirates in the Middle East, as well as Ecuador, Gabon, Ghana, Mozambique and Malta, clearly demonstrates that opposition to the killing of civilians by Hamas is indeed part of the international community’s common stance on this conflict.

However, as the world’s attention has rapidly shifted to strongly opposing Israel’s indiscriminate killing of innocent people in Gaza in the name of “self-defence,” the draft submitted by Brazil does not contain any support for Israel’s right to self-defence, which is the primary reason the US claimed for vetoing the draft.

Nevertheless, the fact that France, Switzerland and Japan were among the countries that voted in favour of the draft, together with the UK’s abstention, indicates that the West has moved away from its initial lopsided support for Israel to a divided attitude.

Opposition to Israel’s bottomless retaliation that violates international law is becoming the attitude of the majority of Western countries, and the US and Israel have once again been isolated.

Russia abstained because it called for an explicit condemnation in the draft text of the indiscriminate attacks against civilians and civilian objects in the Gaza Strip, as well as an immediate and durable ceasefire.

China and Brazil also voted in favour of both amendments. However, because of the large number of abstentions, the two amendments were not included into the draft resolution that was put to the vote.

The whole process of China’s vote shows that its opposition to the killing of civilians by both parties has been consistent.

It is clear that the attitude of the international community is still complex, but the call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire is already a worldwide consensus, and only the US is helping Israel to prevent the Security Council adopting this attitude.

What is true isolation? True isolation is the US’ bottomless siding with Israel and its confrontation with the entire Security Council. — Global Times

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The author is a Chinese media professional