Economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan

Condemnatory

Yes

Analysis

• Israel is the only country condemned by ECOSOC. This one-sided resolution contains eight pages of harsh criticisms against Israel for everything from imprisoning and killing Palestinians to restricting their movement and causing them environmental harm. Terrorism is mentioned only one time, in a general paragraph "calling for the cessation of all acts of violence..." which appears to be directed at both sides. Other than that, the Palestinians are not criticized or condemned. In fact, they are "commended" for "efforts to improve the economic and social situation" and "to develop the institutions on an independent Palestinian State."
• The resolution contains no mention of Hamas at all. It does not reference the suicide bombings of the Second Intifada, the Hamas kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teens in June 2014 that preceded the summer 2014 Gaza conflict, or any of the other brutal murders of Israeli civilians by Palestinian terrorists.
• Furthermore, while incitement by "illegal armed Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians" is specifically condemned, the resolution completely ignores the abundance of official government-sponsored antisemitism and incitement by the Palestinian Authority and Hamas.

Main Sponsors

Group of 77 and China

Vote

Yes - 39, No - 4, Abstain - 3, Absent - 0

See Full Vote

Key Praise

None

Key Criticism

• "Convinced that the Israeli occupation has gravely impeded the efforts to achieve environmentally sustainable development and a sound economic environment in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan…"
• "Expressing alarm, in this regard, about the extremely high levels of unemployment in the Gaza Strip in particular, which remains at over 40 per cent, with youth unemployment reaching 60 per cent, exacerbated by the prolonged Israeli closures and severe economic and movement restrictions that in effect amount to a blockade…"
• "Gravely concerned about the accelerated construction of settlements and implementation of other related measures by Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory…"
• "Expressing grave concern further about ongoing Israeli military operations and policies of closures and severe restrictions on the movement of persons and goods, the imposition of crossing closures, checkpoints and a permit regime throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory…"
• "Expressing grave concern, in particular, over the continuing crisis in the Gaza Strip as a result of the prolonged Israeli closures and severe economic and movement restrictions that in effect amount to a blockade…"
• "Demands that Israel comply with the Protocol on Economic Relations between the Government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization signed in Paris on 29 April 1994…"
• "Calls upon Israel to restore and replace civilian properties, vital infrastructure, agricultural lands and government institutions that have been damaged or destroyed as a result of its military operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory."
• "Also calls upon Israel, the occupying Power, to end immediately its exploitation of natural resources, including water and mining resources, and to cease the dumping of all kinds of waste materials in the Occupied Palestinian Territory…"
• "Calls for accountability for the illegal actions perpetrated by Israeli settlers in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem… "