Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, made a statement on Monday yellow star of david on chestduring a meeting of the Security Council, ensuring that I would wear it with pride if the council does not condemn Hamas.
“Some of you have learned nothing in the last 80 years. Some of you have forgotten why this organization was created,” said the ambassador, denouncing the silence of the Security Council on the unprecedented attacks by the Islamist movement in Israel on the 7th. October.
The Security Council, which remains deeply divided over the situation in the Middle East, did not adopt any resolution on the war between Israel and Hamas.
“From now on, every time you look at me, you will remember what it means to remain silent in the face of evil,” said the Israeli ambassador.
“Like my grandparents and the grandparents of millions of Jews, from this day on, my team and I will wear yellow stars”added Erdan, rising to hang a yellow star, in reference to the symbol whose The Nazi regime imposed its use on the Jews. of Germany in the first half of the 20th century.
“We will use this star until they wake up and condemn the atrocities of Hamas,” the ambassador promised.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the October 7 attacks “The worst crime committed against Jews since the Holocaust.”.
Monday’s Security Council meeting was called on an emergency basis by the United Arab Emirates, following the expansion of Israeli operations in the Gaza Strip, and was marked by ‘information’ from several UN agencies working on the ground, which exposed the “unprecedented level of destruction” in front of the enclave.
“The current siege imposed on Gaza is a collective punishment. (…) The level of destruction is unprecedented, human tragedy that unfolds under our watch is unbearable”said the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini.
Throughout the meeting, the majority of Council member states stressed the need for Israel to protect Palestinian civilians, and the United Kingdom – until now a strong ally of Israel in the Gaza war – spoke out against any idea of ”transferring mass movements of Gazans to neighboring countries,” referring to Israel’s alleged plans.
Despite maintaining her support for Israel, the British ambassador, Barbara Woodward, distanced itself from some practices or Israeli projects.
The diplomat expressly called “for Israel to confront the increasing number of attacks and murders in the occupied West Bank,” insisting that “it is its responsibility to protect Palestinian civilians there.”
Likewise, he asked that the attacks in Gaza be governed “by the principles of proportionality, distinction and necessity (…), avoiding harm to civilians,” in addition to calling for a greater international cooperation to ensure “sufficient access points” for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, one of the critical aspects of the current crisis.
Finally, he blamed Hamas exclusively for the start of this conflict, but defended the Palestinian Authority of President Mahmoud Abbas “as the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.”
In a sign of Washington’s growing concern over the rising Palestinian death toll, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. said President Joe Biden reiterated to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday that “while Israel has the right and the responsibility of defend its citizens from terrorismyou must do it in a in a manner compatible with international humanitarian law”.
“We condemn the killings of Palestinian civilians and urge Israel to prevent these attacks, working with the Palestinian Authority,” appealed Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield.
For two weeks, the UN Security Council laid out its deep divisions about this war and its impacts, rejecting four draft resolutions.
Some proposals were rejected by the United States, Israel’s allies, because they did not mention Israel’s right to defend itself; others, presented by the United States, were rejected by Russia and China because they did not clearly call for a ceasefire.
On Friday, faced with this impasse in the Security Council, the UN General Assembly assumed responsibility in the process, by adopting by a large majority a non-binding resolution that requests a “immediate humanitarian truce”, but without mentioning Hamas.
At the time, the Israeli ambassador called the proposal disgraceful.
Source: TSF
