Marco Rubio says Gaza war has hurt Israel's global support

The United States cannot ignore the impact the war in Gaza has had on Israel’s global standing, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday, as Israel’s diplomatic isolation mounts despite Washington’s attempts to shield its ally.

“Whether you believe it was justified or not, right or not, you cannot ignore the impact that this has had on Israel’s global standing,” Rubio told CBS News’ ‘Face The Nation’.

Rubio was responding to a question about remarks by President Donald Trump to Israel’s Channel 12 in an interview published on Saturday: “Bibi (Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu) has gone too far in Gaza and Israel has lost a lot of support in the world. Now I will return all that support.”

The United States has for decades diplomatically shielded its ally Israel at the U.N. Here’s how that has played out during the Gaza war:

HAS THE U.S. USED ITS U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL VETO ON GAZA?

The United States has used six vetoes in the U.N. Security Council over the past two years to protect Israel regarding the Gaza conflict with Hamas.

The latest veto occurred last month against a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire and the lifting of aid restrictions in Gaza, with 14 council members voting in favor.

The U.S. also agreed to a Security Council statement condemning Israel’s strikes in Doha, but it did not mention Israel by name.

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WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE U.N. GENERAL ASSEMBLY?

The 193-member General Assembly has adopted several resolutions on Gaza, largely after the Security Council was blocked from taking action by the United States. The General Assembly votes have seen Israel and the U.S. overwhelmingly isolated.

General Assembly resolutions are not binding but carry weight as a reflection of the global view on the war. Unlike the U.N. Security Council, no country has a veto in the General Assembly.

Most recently, the General Assembly demanded an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire in the war in Gaza and aid access. The resolution garnered 149 votes in favor, while 19 countries abstained and the US, Israel and 10 others voted against.

WHAT ACTION HAS THERE BEEN ON A TWO-STATE SOLUTION?

Marco Rubio noted on Sunday that “because of the length of this war and how it’s gone” some key Western powers – France, Britain, Australia and Canada – had decided to recognize a Palestinian state.

France and Saudi Arabia held an international summit at the U.N. in July, which was followed by another meeting last month to advance a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians.

The U.N. General Assembly recently endorsed a declaration from the July conference, with 142 votes in favor and 10 against, supporting “tangible, timebound, and irreversible steps” toward this goal.