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Israel-Philippine ties strong despite UN votes on Palestine, says diplomat

Cristina Chi - Philstar.com
Israel-Philippine ties strong despite UN votes on Palestine, says diplomat
A protester holds placards and a candle during a pro-Palestinian rally held to mark the first anniversary of the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Quezon City, Metro Manila on October 7, 2024.
AFP / Jam Sta Rosa

MANILA, Philippines — Israel's ties with the Philippines remain robust despite the Philippines’ recent votes in favor of United Nations resolutions supporting Palestinian statehood, Israel's deputy chief of mission said Thursday, January 23.

Speaking at a press briefing, Israeli diplomat Esty Buzgan downplayed the impact of the Manila's diplomatic stances on the historically strong bilateral relationship between the two countries.

"I'm not going to address specific votes of the UN, but I can tell you that the relations between Israel and the Philippines are strong, and they go back to President Manuel Quezon who saved 1,300 Jews from the hands of the Nazis," Buzgan told reporters.

The diplomat's remarks came amid increasingly clear Philippine positions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Last September, the Philippines was among 124 nations that voted for a UN General Assembly resolution urging Israel to end its "unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory" within a year. 

The Palestinian-drafted measure called for Israel to withdraw its troops, cease all new settlements and return land properties seized since 1967.

This resolution was particularly significant as it was based on a landmark opinion issued by the International Court of Justice in July that declared Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories unlawful. The UN's highest court found that Israel's occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip was tantamount to annexation.

The court also ruled that Israel's imposition of near-complete segregation between Palestinians and Israeli settlers in the West Bank violated international laws prohibiting racial discrimination.

To ensure accountability, the resolution proposed creating an international mechanism to collect and maintain evidence of damage or injuries caused by "internationally wrongful acts of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory."

The United States, one of only 14 countries that opposed the measure, stood with Israel in rejecting the resolution. Several countries including Canada, South Korea and India abstained, citing concerns about the resolution's language.

The international criticism of Israeli settlements also intensified last year. In March 2024, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk warned that Israel's creation and expansion of settlements in occupied territories could constitute a war crime.

"Such transfers amount to a war crime that may engage the individual criminal responsibility of those involved," Turk said in a report to the UN Human Rights Council, referring to Israel's transfer of its civilian population into occupied territories.

Earlier in November 2023, Manila also joined 144 other nations in supporting a different UN General Assembly resolution that condemned Israeli settlements in occupied territories. The resolution cited an International Court of Justice decision declaring these settlements a breach of international law.

The November resolution specifically addressed Israeli settlement activities, which included the transfer of Israeli nationals into occupied territories, land confiscation, and the forced transfer of Palestinian civilians including Bedouin families. The US, the most powerful security ally of the Philippines, was also among the seven countries that voted against this resolution.

Buzgan maintained that these votes reflect countries’ strategic interests. 

“Let's remember that the United Nations is a political organization. So groups of countries vote in specific votes in order to go together with specific interests," Buzgan said.

The Israeli diplomat also said in the same press briefing that the Philippines, like other nations, can help support peace in the Middle East by acting against the spread of global terrorism.

"Filipinos, just like Israelis, we have the same beliefs. We believe in the Bible and the Holy Land. We believe in the principles of the Old Testament. That's something that we share," Buzgan said.

Israel and the militant group Hamas has entered a temporary ceasefire after 15 months of devastating war that has killed civilians on both sides and mostly flattened Gaza. 

The long-awaited pause in fighting, which began Sunday, has seen Hamas release three Israeli hostages while Israel freed 90 Palestinian prisoners.

The Philippines established diplomatic relations with Israel in 1957 and was one of the first Asian countries to recognize Israel's statehood. 

In 1989, the Philippines also officially recognized Palestine as an independent state, joining other countries that support a two-state solution in the region.

GAZA

HAMAS

ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT

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