Wednesday 13 December 2023

Why did these eight countries back the US and Israel in rejecting the Gaza ceasefire proposed at the UN?

These eight countries backed the US and Israel in rejecting a Gaza ceasefire proposed at the UN. Why? Mostly, they get money from the US.

Austria - probably miffed their amendment not to condemn Hamas wasn't included. Conservative-Green (!) government.

Czech Republic -  Israeli trading partner. They saw Israel as a model of freedom after Czechoslovakia was oppressed by the USSR. Why? The USSR had allied with Arab States & Israel was against the Arabs. Right wing coalition government. Gets hundreds of millions of USD in military aid.

Guatemala -  Longstanding trade, defence & humanitarian ties with Israel. Israel supplied military aid in the 70s when the US cut off Guatemala. For reasons that aren't clear, Guatemala was the second country after the US to recognise the new Israeli state.  The US also has USD 200 million dollars earmarked for Guatemala aid.  Centre right government, lots of poverty & violence.


The most interesting story, Liberia:

Liberia is one of the 33 countries which in 1947 voted for Israel to be an independent country.  Perceived parallels between the history of the Jewish people and the initial Americo-Liberian settlers, both oppressed peoples that sought statehood as an escape from persecution. 

Liberia is pro-US because the latter helped freed slaves from the US to set up back in their homeland, via a "colonisation society". This became the Republic of Liberia in 1847,  a one party state until 1979. The settlers held land individually in contrast to the communal ownership of the African population. Their political institutions were modeled on those of the United States but in reality the country appears to be in transition from dictatorship. There seems to have been a kind of apartheid system under the Americo-Liberians and much persecution of indigenous groups. The Americo-Liberians replicated many of the exclusions and social differentiations that had so limited their own lives in the United States. In a nutshell Liberia matches the US model of colonisation and  oppression just as Israel did later. 

In the last twenty years Liberia has received USD 2.4 billion in aid. 



Micronesia recognised Israel in 1948, not sure why. Israel reciprocated in 1993 when the Pacific Islands emerged from UN trusteeship. Israel has also provided aid and technical assistance to the islands. Government: no political parties but elected representatives.

USD 7 billion earmarked for Pacific Islands over the next 20 years.


Nauru is an even smaller speck in the Pacific. You can drive around it in 20 minutes. It offered offshore banking to the US in exchange for aid which didn't materialide. It gets aid from Israel.


Papua New Guinea has an embassy in Jerusalem. Israel has helped them with medical & agricultural technology. The US gives aid. 


Paraguay's embassy was moved to Jerusalem, becoming the third country in the world, after the United States and Guatemala, to recognize the city as the diplomatic capital of Israel in 2018. Paraguay was another of the countries that recognised Israel in 1947 and has had good relations since. 

The US has supported Paraguay with aid since 1942. Government: problematic democracy, conservatives in power.  Problems with corruption, organized crime, and environmental issues.

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