US petition urges UN to send force to protect Palestinians

Pro-Palestinian supporters in the United States launched a campaign calling on President Joe Biden and members of Congress to allow the United Nations Security Council to send a UN protection force to the occupied Palestinian territories to protect civilians against Israeli aggression.

The petition, signed by nearly 3,000 people so far, blames the UN General Assembly for failing "in its commitment to provide protection to the Palestinians, who suffer from the illegal military occupation."

It demanded the US puts an end to "its indiscriminate and absolute defence of the apartheid state in Israel, through its use of its veto in the Security Council," and that it "let justice be done."

The campaign made mention of the billions of dollars given annually to Israel by the US – amounting to $3.8 billion - that is "used to maintain the illegal occupation". 

Palestinians have suffered for decades at the hands of the army and police who carry out daily violations, it noted.

As well as slamming Israeli authorities, the petition mentioned armed Jewish-Israeli settlers who have also attacked Palestinians, whether in Jerusalem or in the West Bank, adding that UN resolutions would not deter Israel.

"The Israeli apartheid regime continues to act arrogantly, violating international resolutions as a result of its prior knowledge that the US will prevent any serious accountability by the international community, by using the American veto in the Security Council to prevent Israel from being held accountable for its grave crimes."

More than 240 people were killed in Israel's 11-day bombardment of Gaza in May, including at least 65 children, while Hamas rocket fire killed at least 13 Israelis.

Hamas had fired missiles into Israel in retaliation to Tel Aviv's repeated attacks against Palestinians in Jerusalem and the West Bank, where it has expelled a number of Palestinian families or demolished their homes to make way for Jewish-Israeli settlers and new settlements.

All settlements are deemed illegal under international law.