LETTERS: THE failure of Israel for many years to follow the peaceful spirit of the United Nations Charter should have resulted in its expulsion from the world body.
The latest being its bombing in Gaza over the last six months, followed by attacks in Lebanese and Syrian territory.
Perhaps, Israel has forgotten that it owes its existence to the UN. It was on Nov 29, 1947, that the UN General Assembly approved the UN Partition Plan for Palestine through Resolution 181, by terminating the British Mandate of Palestine, creating two states, one Jewish and one Arab.
The UN charter is a basic treaty, and all members, including Israel, are bound by its articles. Failure of any country to follow the treaty can be cause for severe punishment, including expulsion from the UN.
Article 6 of the UN Charter 1945 states: "A member of the UN which has persistently violated the principles contained in the present charter may be expelled from the organisation by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council."
Expulsion might seem difficult to be realise since Israel has strong support from the United States, which is one of the permanent members of the UN Security Council.
However, by initiating the expulsion process, it will at least give a strong signal to Israel that its barbaric and inhuman actions towards Palestinians are intolerable by many nations.
At the same time, it would give Palestinians a morale boost to continue their struggle for an independent country where they can live in peace, security and dignity.
DR MUZAFFAR SYAH MALLOW
Associate Professor
Faculty of Syariah & Law
University Sains Islam Malaysia
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times
