The year 2017 will be remembered for having more critical developments on the international scale compared to previous years. And the year ends with an agenda concentrating on the Jerusalem crisis as well as the rise of the far right in Europe and examples of social injustice.
Soon after a recent veto by the United States in the U.N. Security Council, many countries, with the initiative of Ankara, took a step, this time in the U.N. General Assembly, for a resolution against the U.S.'s controversial decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital city of Israel.
No matter that U.S. President Donald Trump threatened U.N. member countries with financial punishment for those who would vote against the United States, Turkey rolled up its sleeves to lobby for the resolution together with leading powers.
And, yesterday the United Nations General Assembly held a serious vote, declaring their rejection to Trump's decision on Jerusalem. It is safe to say that this opposition to the U.S. president may become a milestone in world politics that can reshape the global balances.
In another corner of the world, in Ramallah, a young Palestinian hero, Ahed Tamimi is being held in prison. Israeli violence is going on right now. Tamimi, who was rewarded with the Hanzala prize due to her resistance against Israeli violence even during her childhood, was taken into custody in the early hours of the night this week. Another young Palestinian, Fawzi al-Juneidi is kept in an Israeli military prison because of his resistance to Israeli oppression. Tamimi and Juneidi are just two examples of Palestinian children who shoulder the burden of the cause of Jerusalem and Palestine in the midst of the deafening silence from the Muslim world. Turkey, as the term president of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), is doing its best to strengthen the reaction of the Muslim world against the injustice committed by the United States vis-à-vis Jerusalem to achieve a concrete result.
Parallel to these developments, a serious threat to the stability of Europe continues to accelerate, which is the rise of the far right and hostility toward Islam and refugees.
Following the inclusion of the far-right Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) in Sebastian Kurz's coalition government in Austria with key ministries, a summit was held over the weekend in Prague with the participation of far-right parties in the EU where insults were made against refugees, Muslims and others in Europe.
In addition to these social pathologies in Europe, this time, British parliamentarians drew attention to another national crisis, which is homelessness. And they regret the lack of attention and interest of their government to find a solution to the crisis.
During these cold days of winter, you can come across police prevention against homeless people, refugees and the poor in the streets of European cities, implementing decisions by their policy makers.
There is no place for refugees and others in many European cities, and there is no serious plan for the homeless.
As Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., threatened to take note of those who voted against the United States in the U.N. General Assembly, humanity also takes note of the results of the unequal, unjust policies of world powers that results in great oppression in the Middle East, the rise of the far right in Europe and the flow of refugees as well as homelessness in the streets of bright Western cities.