In Which World Are We Living? Guterres' "Fair to History" Statements Anger Israel

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, made statements regarding the motives behind Palestinian resistance that seemed discordant. 

Amidst a symphony of condemnations and support for the occupying entity, Israel, Guterres' words acted as a disruptor, pulling most attendees out of a state of complete denial regarding the brutal aggression that has persisted for over 50 years against the rights of the Palestinian people.

However, the Israeli Foreign Minister's outcry, "This is not our world," seems to have reset the desired tone.

Not Out of Thin Air

In a session of the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, Secretary-General António Guterres stated that the attack by the (resistance) movement on Israel "did not come out of thin air." He emphasized that "the Palestinian people have been under suffocating occupation for 56 years, witnessing their land erode continuously due to settlements and violence. They've been displaced and their homes destroyed, while their hopes for a political solution fade away."

However, Guterres clarified that "the grievances of the Palestinian people do not justify the horrifying attacks carried out by the resistance," reiterating strongly that he "condemns in the strongest terms the unprecedented and horrifying events by the resistance in Israel, and nothing can justify killing, injuring, kidnapping civilians, or launching rockets at civilian targets."

In Which World Are We Living?

In the world where both Guterres and Cohen reside, Israeli strikes have continued for 18 days over the heads of isolated civilians in Gaza, amidst an imposed siege, devoid of water, electricity, or sustenance. The sanctity of mosques and churches has been violated, hospitals bombed, and even civilians, forced to evacuate their homes, were targeted after leaving. The aggression has led, up until the writing of these lines, to more than 5795 martyrs and over 18,000 wounded.

No Room for Neutrality

Following Guterres' speech, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, also present in the session, responded, "In which world do you live? Certainly, this is not our world."

In the world where both Guterres and Cohen reside, Israeli strikes have continued for 18 days over the heads of isolated civilians in Gaza, amidst an imposed siege, devoid of water, electricity, or sustenance. The sanctity of mosques and churches has been violated, hospitals bombed, and even civilians, forced to evacuate their homes, were targeted after leaving. The aggression has led, up until the writing of these lines, to more than 5795 martyrs and over 18,000 wounded.

No Room for Neutrality

Following Guterres' speech, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, also present in the session, responded, "In which world do you live? Certainly, this is not our world."

In another escalation in response to the Secretary-General's address, Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan called for Guterres' "immediate resignation." Erdan wrote on social media that Guterres is "not fit to lead the United Nations."

No Party Above Humanitarian Law

Returning to Guterres' statement, the UN Secretary-General expressed "deep concern about the blatant violations of international humanitarian law that we witness in Gaza," emphasizing that there is no room for favoring any party in an armed conflict under international humanitarian law.

Guterres said, "Protecting civilians does not mean evacuating over a million people to the south, where there is no shelter, food, water, medicine, or fuel, and then continuing to bombard the south itself."

The escalation in Gaza began with a surprise attack by the Palestinian resistance, known as "Operation Al-Aqsa Tempest," on October 7. It included simultaneous attacks by land, sea, and air, targeting Israeli military sites, airports, and fortifications in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Ashdod. The Israeli occupation forces responded with an unprecedented escalation against the residents of the Gaza Strip, during which shelling continued, and internationally prohibited weapons were used, forcing Palestinians from the north of the enclave to the south in what the United Nations described as forced displacement.

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