Humanitarian Rhetoric, Strategic Interests, and the Politics of Contradiction: UNSC, Arms Exports, and the Gaza Conflict
The Israel–Gaza conflict serves as a lens through which the inconsistencies of global diplomacy are revealed. On one side, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and General Assembly (UNGA) are platforms rich with humanitarian discourse: repeated calls for ceasefires, humanitarian corridors, and a sustainable two-state solution are common. Conversely, the same nations making these declarations often bolster Israel’s military strength through arms sales, collaborative defence initiatives, and diplomatic protection. The disparity between rhetoric and action has seldom been so pronounced. The events of 2024-2025 - notably the mass walk-out during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s UNGA speech and the debate over the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant against him - sharply illustrate these tensions. They also emphasize the interaction between normative actions (symbolic condemnation), legal frameworks (international courts), and material interests (defence tra...