Israel’s ambassador to the UN has lashed out at UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for saying the Hamas attack on southern Israel “did not occur in a vacuum” and demanded his resignation.
“It is important to also recognize the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum,” Guterres said at a UN Security Council meeting. “The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation. They have seen their land steadily devoured by settlements and plagued by violence, their economy stifled, their people displaced, and their homes demolished. Their hopes for a political solution to their plight have been vanishing.”
He added that the history does not mean the Hamas attack was justified. “The grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas. And those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people,” he said.
Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan called the comments “shocking” and called on Guterres to step down. “There is no justification or point in talking to those who show compassion for the most terrible atrocities committed against the citizens of Israel and the Jewish people. There are simply no words,” he said.
Other Israeli officials criticized Guterres, including Benny Gantz, who is a minister in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war cabinet. Gantz called Guterres a “terrorist apologist” and said that “absolutely nothing can justify the slaughter of innocent civilians.” Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes continue to pound Gaza, where thousands of children have already been killed by the Israeli onslaught.
The US has been covering for Israel at the UN Security Council by voting against and vetoing resolutions calling for an end to the violence in Gaza. The US and Russia are expected to soon introduce competing resolutions. The Russian version will call for a complete humanitarian ceasefire, while the US will propose a vague “pause” to allow aid into the besieged enclave.
Some aid trucks have entered Gaza, but UN agencies have said more than 20 times the current deliveries are needed to support the population after over two weeks of relentless airstrikes.
Here’s your hat! What’s the hurry? Ah, Israel said so ?…
Typo? You meant to say “head,” not “hat”–right?
Actually no NA. What I posted is an old expression that people use to say. 🙂
Good for you, Donna. Glad you’re here 😉
Those remarks absolutely are shocking, coming from a UN secretary general. Let’s hear many more like them!
Well, Colombia kicked out Israeli ambassador, when he tried to browbeat Colombian presidenr.
Demand all you want…. Not gonna happen…!
They have everyone by their shorthairs. Unless you wax.
The Palestinians have an absolute right to any weapon they can get their hands on but the Israelis don’t have any right to attack Palestinians because they are the Occupier and occupiers don’t have a right to self defense.
This is one of the most fundamental international law principles. In the case of Israel turned onto its head.
That not how real life works.
Nothing justifies the actions of Hamas, but what the U.N. Chief said has merit. This violence didn’t happen in a vacuum. Israelis will never live in peace until they make peace with the Palestinian. That will never happen while Palestinians are ruled by those who want to exterminate Israelis.
They do not want to make peace with Palestinians. They wannt them gone. All the abuse matted daily by Israel was not for the ourpise ifvmaking Palestinians docile and accepting abuse meekly. Just the opposite. Hope was -/ Palestnians will eventually lash out, and the long hoped for excuse for forcing Palestinians out — would finally arrive.
Just as information is coming ftom witnesses In Kibbutz attacked by Hamas. One witness described for Israeli media the scene when IDF arrivedvand opened fire on people. Itvwas a case of massive friendly fire. In Haaretz it was disclosed that IDF suspected Hamas un homes holding famikies hostage. Tanks fired on those houses as there was no negotiations allowed.
Same with hostages in Gaza. Israel is not negotiating, andvexoects them to die.
Like I said, the violence will never end until they find a way forward to peaceful coexistence.
Hamas has already proposed the end of hostilities: a separate state for Palestinians based on the 1967 borders with Jerusalem
as its capital.
You should educate yourself, as this has been Hamas’ position for quite some time.
Hey OldGuy: There have been many proposals over the years that have been rejected. I’ll bet I’m as well educated on the subject as you are.
As the old saying goes “it takes two to tango”.
if “Nothing justifies the actions of Hamas”, then what justify Israel’s mass killing in Gaza?! You can’t have it both ways! Just as the SG said. nothing happens in a vacuum…when one considers what the Palestinians suffered in the past 75 years, one would understand.
As have the Jews for the last 2,000 years. There have been many huge errors committed in that part of the world. The Palestinians rejected a two-state solution back in the 1940’s. The Israelis have created an apartheid nation. Violence begats violence.
Here’s the difference:
One rules over apartheid.
One lives under it.
Pretending this is equal ground with both sides equally culpable is deranged.
Like the U.N. Chief said, the violence didn’t happen in a vaccum.
Israel was offered many opportunities fromfirst camp david .It ignored and Carter lost .
1982 and in 2002 Saudi offered full normal reliation in exchange for 1967 borders and sovereign Palestine state.
Oslo offered something but was used by Israelto delay procrastinate and deny Palestinaian what were aggreed in Oslo. FromOslo until now, Israel has 1increased settlements by 60% and has imposed most comprhensive blockade on ” unoccupied ” Gaza .
Hamas seems to be a logical response to the lying Zionists . Its unporductive but logical.
” Its unporductive ” It sure is.
There have been many rejected opportunities since early in the 20th century. The Palestinians rejected a two-state proposal right after WWII.
Yes, someone would come to your house demanding part of the ownership because sometimes in the past his ancestor had a house exactly on that place .
Palestine offered 1 state solution with immigrants and native under the 1 house with equal rights for all.
That was generous. Next time take an illegal immigrant in your house and offer equal property tight to him.
What you said is correct. But that gets back to my original post. You may side with one or the other, but it will take both of them to move forward. Right now, the Israelis have more to lose than the Palestinians, but some type of holocaust in the region will benefit neither. Both seem hell bent on mutual destruction.
I would not like that or would not offer that in my home. I understand why the Palestinians don’t like the Israelis, but they have to live in the real world. In the real world, Israel exists and are militarily superior to the Palestinians. Thinking that they could drive out the Israelis is delusional.
Playing games. Those aid trucks — WHERE EXACTLY WILL THEY GO TO DELIVER AID? Those trucks are not moving far from Egyptian border. Why not take aid into the city ? Because Israel wants people OUT. And have UN build tent cities there, and let the world feed them — Israel takes the city. leaves Palestinians in the desert. Guiterres may speak boldly, responding to glibal anger, but he will do nothing tonprevent this forced displacement of population. Short of war against Israel, nobody can.
Israel’s ambassador to the UN demands that UN Secretary General resign for telling the truth.
Twisted.
Truth is a dangerous thing …
“Truth is the most valuable thing we have. Let us economize it.”
Mark Twain
I came across this article last night and immediately thought time to get off the net. The audaciousness is fucking mind blowing.
It’s a level of self-regarding narcissism that is difficult to behold … again, though, hubris will inevitably lead to nemesis … Israel is waking the dragons.
No wonder some among us hold that they are in charge of much of what transpires in DC politics and foreign affairs.
The Israeli Ambassador has the right to say whatever damn fool thing he wants, but no one has to pay him any mind.
But they pay him a lot of minds.
Wall Street ,Foxnews, other outlets of that guy with 2 feet in the grave , and numerous local news media in Germany and NY city. Then there are those looking into re elction of post – elected office jobs . They all quote this psycho in most positive ways . Americnas with mutated developments will tell each other – look how each one is ganging up against the poor country .
Why Israel is still a member of the United Nations is beyond me. It has never respected any of the UN resolutions.
The Sec. General could scarcely get any higher praise.
A feather in his cap as he approaches the end of his leadership … for once, he spoke something resembling the truth.
Soon criticisms of Israel will be considered a criminal offence in the US as some European have decided.
Not without one helluva fight!
What a chutzpah! Such limitless arrogance that is encouraged and rewarded by the western governments.
Good, good morning, MR. Smith.!!!
Note the double standard. Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan complains that there is no justification or point in talking to those who show compassion for the most terrible atrocities committed… by THEIR side. There is only justification or point in talking to those who show compassion for the most terrible atrocities committed by OUR side.
Note also that Guterres did not express compassion for atrocities or for anyone committing atrocities. He merely pointed out that atrocities have been committed by BOTH sides.
Exactly:
So, 57 years of occupations, slavery, and murder is no justification for killing civilians but a single episode of killing civilians is justification for a mass bombing campaign that will kill tens of thousands (at least).
It’s just incredible … they say these astonishingly stupid and revealing things and the MSM treats them with kid gloves. Of course, our own officials are even worse (“500,000 dead children worth it”) but still …
I am beginning to despise the residents of Israel for continuously electing monsters to head their governments.
What took so long.
I became anti-zionist when they elected the butcher Sharon.
I’m referring to their citizens, many of whom have nothing to do with their government’s positions (as is the case for me here in the US), not to their government, which I have recognized for its atrocious policies since I was a young man.
The citizens elected Sharon in 2000, 23 years ago.
No, that’s not how Israeli prime ministers are chosen.
Both Israeli government sites and Wikipedia have fairly straightforward explanations of the process.
Candidate Party Votes %
Ariel Sharon Likud 1,698,077 62.38
Ehud Barak Labor 1,023,944 37.62
Total 2,722,021 100.00
Valid votes 2,722,021 97.01
Invalid/blank votes 83,917 2.99
Total votes 2,805,938 100.00
Registered voters/turnout 4,504,769 62.2
Right. The votes are for the parties.
You’ve clearly checked at least Wiki, so you know that the process of selecting a prime minister involves a sometimes-complicated series of steps, usually involving negotiations with multiple parties and always requiring approval of the Knesset.
You can say that it’s a “very technical interpretation,” and I suppose it is, but the point is that prime ministers aren’t directly elected and Israeli voters may usually have a good idea who will end up in the job if their party is able to form a government, but that’s not the same thing as direct election.
My point is that the election of Sharon reflected the will of a very large majority of the voters.
Israel’s election of Sharon buy a landslide is accepted history.
After the election, all sides immediately agreed that Sharon had a strong mandate. (Labor eventually joined his government as well)
Check any reporting from the election night.
I pulled a jpeg from wikipedia. Are you questioning it’s veracity?
There are many “Sharon beat Barak 62-38%” cites from the night of the election and the days after. I found no contemporary sources or historical scholarship that present it in any other way, because that was the political reality. The percentages include minor parties that were already publicly allied with Sharon or Barak for the election.
I get your point, but it doesn’t really relate well to gauging Sharon’s support. The evidence and reporting all show that he had massive electoral support.
Ultimately it’s pretty simple, Israel elected a war criminal to lead it in 2001.
I wasn’t questioning Sharon’s support, or questioning whether his selection (by party leaders and the president) and approval of that selection by the Knesset reflected the will of the voters. I merely pointed out that Israel, like most countries with parliamentary government models, doesn’t directly elect prime ministers. That’s not a merely technical point, it’s fundamental and most Americans (the majority of readers and posters here) aren’t familiar with the process. It’s fairly likely that an understanding of the process will be helpful for observers of the political bloodbath that is almost certain to follow the current real-world bloodbath.
There’s no question whether a war criminal became PM of Israel in 2001, and no question that a majority of voters supported the policies espoused by the war criminal and his party. He did and they did. Of course, Sharon was hardly the first Israeli PM war criminal. A pretty good case could be made for the argument that the first was the first PM.
I understand your point.
You’re making a statement about the structure of Israeli elections and I’m focusing on the political reality that in 2001, Israelis knew whether they were effectively voting for Sharon or Barak when they cast their votes.
“Of course, Sharon was hardly the first Israeli PM war criminal. A pretty good case could be made for the argument that the first was the first PM.”
Agreed.
“You’re making a statement about the structure of Israeli elections and I’m focusing on the political reality that in 2001”
Yup, we don’t really disagree.
Dissident51 is correct — as your response indicates.
The leader of the party that has a majority (or can put together a majority coalition) in the Knesset becomes prime minister.
The only people who voted for Sharon or Barak were the people in their Knesset constituencies.
That’s correct from a very technical interpretation, but that’s not how Israeli politics work in practice.
Sharon ran and campaigned as Likud’s candidate for Prime Minister, of that there can be no doubt. He led the Likud list.
Voters for Likud and its allied parties knew they were voting for Ariel Sharon. There were the only two declared candidates. Likud and its allies won by a landslide.
On election night all US & Israeli media reported that Sharon had beaten Barack by a landlside, and they didn’t mean in Sharon’s district
On election night, Barack conceded and Sharon declared victory as Prime Minister.
Also, I’m told that Netanyahu is barely hanging on to his position, and that he might be facing jail time if he loses it.
Yeah, he’s the defendant in a criminal trial on charges of fraud and bribery. It’s been ongoing for more than three years. I don’t know if he has legal protection from imprisonment while PM, but it’s not likely they’d lock him up during a war.
It’s pretty clear that his political career is over as soon as this war is over, though.
Great speech at the UN, Israel immediately calling for his resignation is priceless. Israel ignores 28n UN resolutions they should not have a vote at the UN.
Its so much upside down bs, one gets sick from the merry go round spin spin spin… https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/02ffda16e574abf4fe032c666e23656374ee44f58fbac636c31c551e813bcba1.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f0b1d35c5480307f11118f3bdf314bf7aafc5ef9cb6b3d8c1c724e46b3ef1263.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a671899991806ad8044b7ff4981254481ce2e61a9a53e358cf686bcaf395c830.png
“…did not occur in a vacuum.”
As a former scientist and active science nerd, this is technically and legally accurate – at or near sea-level most anywhere on Earth, one may expect a nominal atmospheric pressure at 101 kPa +/- about 10%. Hells, even the ISS isn’t in complete vacuum.
And little wonder why they are called Nerds.
Thems is a TASTY candy.
Blinken must resign for the same reasons. He’s obviously biased (sarcasm).
gg
In 2 or 12 or 20 or 200 years Israel will deny everything thats its defense minsiter, president, PM,advisors , ambassadors to US ,UK,France,and representtive to UN are and have been saying .
It will label these facts as libel ,as age old goym behaviors
Everything these guys have said, confirmed ,decided,and carried out would be palmed off as lies as centuries’s old usual canard and be pitched to the garbage . Laws will be enacted in 2 to 200 years and anytime in between , to prevent spread of the dark realities enveloping Gaza.
AP Erases Israeli Pledge to Attack Gaza Like ‘Axis Power’ as Officials Threaten Palestinians with ‘Dresden’ Doctrine
https://www.globalresearch.ca/ap-erases-israeli-pledge-attack-gaza-like-axis-power-officials-threaten-palestinians-dresden-doctrine/5837788
Tribe’s M O . Erase and destroy any memory .
As they should. If the “leader” of the United Nations cant properly lead them in condemning terrorism and acts of genocide without some ridiculous counter-statement, he deserves all the condemnation and scorn he rightfully receives. As such, as the world comes together to condemn Hamas’s unjustifiable terrorism and support Israel, there cant be divisions allowed to divide us, as we can only wish the brave souls of the Israeli Defense Forces godspeed in their mission.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1f89dee2c18bf4f9adb1e4aecbf61eebee9333df8ac6fd0effe59494fd9ce961.png
“…as the world comes together to condemn Hamas’s unjustifiable terrorism and support Israel…”
Don’t be too quick to think that the leaders of the world’s countries are the PEOPLE of those countries.
You may find what a President, King, or Prime Minsters says and does, doesn’t at all track with the will and opinion of a majority of their population, on all topics.