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FARTHER ??? Who is the FARTHER 🤣

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Rationally, January 1st is just another day with no scientific evidence marking its significance. However, it prompts reflection and hope for new beginnings. Yet, for those in the Gaza Strip, the New Year offers no relief; the humanitarian crisis persists amidst ongoing violence. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's cancellation of humanitarian permits worsens the dire conditions, exacerbating food insecurity and health issues.
The fragile ceasefire, brokered by President Trump, raises concerns of further aggression against Palestinians in 2026.
Additionally, geopolitical shifts manifest in Yemen with Israel's recognition of Somaliland, raising security threats and complicating regional dynamics. Somalia's condemnation of this act may lead to military confrontations, adding to the continent's existing conflicts.

Government politicians have been travelling across the globe during the past several months at the expense of Sri Lankan taxpayers, and it is doubtful whether any tangible benefits have accrued to the country from their globetrotting. Foreign investment remains woefully low, and there are no signs of the situation improving in the near future. So, it is highly unlikely that concern over state funds played any role in the government’s decision to refrain from asking for a vote on the UNHRC resolution in question. The NPP will have to come out with a better argument to counter the Opposition’s claim that it made a compromise in Geneva despite its patriotic rhetoric.

''Instead of adopting a defeatist attitude, the NPP government should have cared to study how Sri Lanka had won a vote in Geneva in 2009. In any case, the government must discontinue the practice of allowing the UNHRC to ram resolutions down its throat. Otherwise, there will be no end to resolutions the UNHRC moves against Sri Lanka, according to the whims and fancies of the western powers swayed by influential lobbying groups sympathetic to the LTTE.''

A growing number of Western nations — including the UK, France, and Canada — are showing signs of shifting away from their long-standing support for Israel, with several moving toward recognizing Palestinian statehood.

Israel has fiercely opposed these moves, calling them a “reward to Hamas” that could derail ongoing ceasefire efforts. Former US President Donald Trump has also criticized recognition efforts, while Washington has vowed to veto any bid to grant Palestine full UN membership.

At present, 147 of the 193 UN member states recognize Palestine as a sovereign state. It holds non-member observer status at the UN, granted in 2012. But tensions are mounting after reports that the US has denied or revoked visas for Palestinian delegates, effectively barring them from attending the upcoming UN General Assembly.

The situation recalls 1988, when the US refused a visa for then–PLO leader Yasser Arafat, prompting the UN to move its session to Geneva. Now, advocacy groups are urging a similar move, citing a 1947 US-UN agreement that guarantees access for all UN representatives.

Critics say the US is attempting to stifle debate on Gaza and Palestinian statehood by restricting access to Palestinian representatives, part of a wider strategy to isolate the PLO. Supporters of the move, however, argue it’s a justified response to ongoing security concerns.

As diplomatic divides deepen, the recognition of Palestine and the denial of visas to its delegates highlight a potential turning point — suggesting that the once-solid Western consensus behind Israel may be beginning to crack.