Russia and China, two of five permanent members on the UN Security Council, vetoed a resolution that would have enforced sanctions on Syria over alleged use of chemical weapons in its six-year civil war – a threat that leaves neighboring Israel concerned.
The resolution, proposed by Britain and France and endorsed by the U.S., would have banned the sale of helicopters to Syria and sanctioned 11 commanders or officials and 10 groups linked to chemical attacks.
Israel, which is technically at war with Syria and shares a border with the country, is concerned for its own safety, particularly that weapons will fall into the hands of terrorists groups such as Hezbollah. Israel has been thought to have carried out a number of strikes against Syrian chemical weapon sites and the transfer of such weapons on its own. In December, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman even admitted Israeli intervention within Syria.
“Not taking action against chemical weapons’ use undermines confidence in the international community’s ability to tackle flagrant violations of international law and undermines the trust of Syrians affected by these horrific attacks,” said U.K. Ambassador Matthew Rycroft, while U.S. Ambassador, Nikki Haley, accused Russia and China of putting “their friends in the Assad regime ahead of our global security.”
Following a 13-month investigation, in October the 4th report of the UN-Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) stated that Assad’s forces had used Russian supplied military helicopters to drop chlorine-filled barrel bombs on civilian areas. Chlorine is banned as a weapon under the Chemical Weapons Convention, which Syria joined in 2013. When inhaled, the gas turns to hydrochloric acid in the lungs, killing by burning and drowning the victim in bodily fluids.
Chinese Ambassador, Liu Jieyi, argued that investigations were still incomplete.
“By vetoing this resolution, Russia and China have displayed a callous disregard for the lives of millions of Syrians,” said Sherine Tadros, head of Amnesty International’s UN Office.
Some Israeli intelligence assessments have stated that the more deadly chemical weapons such as sarin, VX and sulfur mustard have now been destroyed in Syria, following its 2013 joining of the Chemical Weapons Convention which brought its stockpiles under the authority of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). However, stockpiles of chlorine, less devastating but nevertheless deadly, clearly remain.
Meanwhile the Israeli government has stopped distribution of gas masks amongst civilians.
A biblical prophecy describing the destruction of Syria’s capital city, Damascus, can be found in Isaiah 17 and Jeremiah 49. While the city’s destruction is complete and final, this could indicate the use of chemical weapons. However, the redeeming encouragement of the prophecy is that the “remnant of Aram” (biblically synonymous with present-day Syria) will turn to God, becoming “like the glory of the Israelites.”
“A prophecy against Damascus:
‘See, Damascus will no longer be a city
but will become a heap of ruins.
The cities of Aroer will be deserted
and left to flocks, which will lie down,
with no one to make them afraid.
The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim,
and royal power from Damascus;
the remnant of Aram will be
like the glory of the Israelites,’
declares the Lord Almighty.”
Isaiah 17:1-3