Israel's U.N. Ambassador Blasts 'Demonization' of Country, Accuses Assembly of Supporting Hamas
Israel's U.N. ambassador, Gilad Erdan, lashed out at the U.N. General Assembly for supporting Hamas while saying "the demonization of Israel" is causing "sickening anti-Semitic attacks."
The Associated Press reported Erdan said if the U.N. "strengthens Hamas, it will make the possibility of Hamas replacing the Palestinian Authority much more likely and eliminate the chance of future dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians."
Erdan is open to a cease-fire on the condition that Hamas significantly degrades its "terror machine."
For more reporting from the Associated Press, see below.
He said that "Israel will take all steps necessary to protect its civilians while making every effort to avoid harming Palestinian civilians."
Erdan accused the 193-member General Assembly of "hypocrisy" in supporting Hamas, which every day is firing hundreds of rockets indiscriminately into Israel.
He stressed that Hamas doesn't accept Israel's right to exist and refuses to renounce violence.
He stressed "there is nothing to discuss with a terror organization committed to your annihilation, nothing."
Erdan said there has never been "a clearer example of the fact that anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism" and called on all governments to take swift action to protect Jewish communities and apprehend perpetrators.
The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations says the United States will continue "to relentlessly push for peace" between Israel and Gaza's militant Hamas rulers.
Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the U.S. has held more than 60 diplomatic meetings at the highest levels over the past two weeks, including at least five by President Joe Biden, to try to quickly end the conflict.
She spoke on Thursday at an emergency in-person meeting of the U.N. General Assembly and underscored that the U.S. administration is committed to working with Israelis, Palestinians and parties across the Middle East to stop the hostilities.
She said: "I don't believe there is any country working more urgently or fervently toward peace."
Thomas-Greenfield reiterated that in Biden's phone call with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, the president said "we believe Israel is now in a position to begin winding down the conflict, and that we expect a significant de-escalation to begin."
She said the Biden administration is committed to working with other countries "to bring a rapid end to the current violence and, over the longer term, create the conditions for a lasting, sustainable peace."
The top Palestinian diplomat is accusing Israel of committing "genocide" against Palestinian families and urging the international community to protect the Palestinian people until their freedom is assured.
Foreign Minister Riad Al-Malki told Thursday's emergency meeting of the U.N. General Assembly on the conflict between Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers that "every country in the world has a responsibility to ensure that peace, justice and freedom prevail."
He urged the assembly ensure that Israel is held accountable for killing innocent Palestinians and is not provided with arms. He said the presence of a dozen ministers, almost all from Arab and Islamic countries, sends a clear message: "Stop the violence."
The Palestinian minister responded to Israel's claims of acting in self-defense by saying: "How can an occupying power have the right to defend itself when a whole people under occupation is deprived of the very same rights?"
Al-Malki said the Palestinians have informed the Biden administration and the Quartet of Mideast mediators — the U.S., U.N., European Union and Russia — that "ending occupation against our people and our holy sites should be followed by a political process" that would lead to ending the Israeli occupation of Palestine and its capital."
So far in the deadly conflict, Palestinian militants have fired more than 4,000 rockets at Israel from Gaza and Israel has hit the territory with relentless airstrikes in response.
