Libya's envoy blasts Israel's U.N. Buffoonery

In this viral clip, Libya's permanent representative to the United Nations, Taher EL-Sonni, accused his Israeli counterpart, Danny Danon, of deploying double standards on the question of illegal settlements in occupied Palestine. The next day, on 18 September, the UN General Assembly voted in favour of a Palestine-drafted resolution calling for an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories within 12 months and the imposition of sanctions for settlers' non-compliance.

Danon denounced the vote as a 'shameful decision that backs the Palestinian Authority's diplomatic terrorism.' While 124 countries voted for the resolution, 43 abstained and 14 voted against it. It was a historic first for Palestine, which introduced the resolution in the 193-member UN General Assembly.

On 10 May, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution that—as of 10 September—upgraded Palestine's rights at the United Nations to a permanent observer state. That resolution also urged the Security Council to approve Palestine's full membership, which would provide Palestine with additional rights beyond being able to sponsor resolutions. UNGA resolutions are non-binding and require the approval of the Security Council, on which the permanent members—China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and Israel's no. 1 ally, the United States—have veto power.

Palestine's resolution was based on an advisory opinion that the UN's top court, the International Court of Justice, issued in July, saying that Israel's occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip violates international law and that Israel must immediately evacuate settlements, among other actions. The court based its advisory opinion on the 'sustained abuse by Israel of its position as an occupying power' by building and expanding settlements, using the area's natural resources, annexing and imposing permanent controls over lands, and undermining Palestinians' right to self-determination.