Israel calls on UN Secretary General to resign after 'sympathetic' remarks toward Hamas
(Baonghean.vn) - Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan on October 24 asked Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to resign, accusing him of showing "compassion" towards "terrorists and murderers" in his speech to the Security Council.
“The UN Secretary-General, who has shown empathy for the campaign of mass killings of children, women and the elderly, is not fit to lead the United Nations. I call on him to resign immediately,” Mr Erdan said on social network X, formerly Twitter.
“There is no reason and no benefit to talking to those who show compassion for the most terrible atrocities committed against Israeli citizens and Jews,” the Israeli official wrote.
Mr Erdan argued that Mr Guterres’ “shocking” speech was evidence that the Secretary-General was “completely out of touch with the reality in our region and that he views the massacre carried out by fascist Hamas terrorists in a distorted and immoral way”.
“His statement that ‘Hamas attacks do not happen without cause’, expressing an understanding of terrorism and murder, is truly incomprehensible. It is sad that the head of an organization that emerged after the Holocaust would have such terrible views. What a tragedy!” – Israel’s ambassador posted.
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen also reacted strongly to Mr. Guterres' speech at the Security Council. He later announced that he would refuse to meet Mr. Guterres again.
“After October 7, there is no room for a balanced approach. Hamas must be wiped off the face of the earth!” Cohen declared on X.
Secretary-General Guterres condemned Hamas' "horrific" and inexcusable violence, but noted that Gaza had been "subject to 56 years of suffocating occupation" and that Israel's response to the October 7 attacks amounted to collective punishment for Palestinians.
“I am deeply concerned about the clear violations of international humanitarian law that we are witnessing in Gaza. Let me be clear: No party to an armed conflict is above international humanitarian law,” Mr. Guterres told the Security Council.
He also called for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” to facilitate the release of hostages held by Hamas, provide aid to civilians and “ease the terrible suffering” in Palestinian territory.
Speaking at the meeting, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed that the United Nations “must affirm the right of any nation to defend itself and prevent such harm from happening again,” noting that no member of the Security Council “can or will tolerate the massacre of their own people.”
Mr Blinken also questioned what he described as a lack of international outrage and clear condemnation of Hamas attacks.
