Israel calls for UN general secretary to ‘resign immediately’ over Hamas speech
UN general secretary Antonio Guterres uses speech to claim 'It is important to also recognise the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum'
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan has called on general secretary Antonio Guterres to resign from his post after he suggested the Hamas terror atrocities “did not happen in a vacuum”
In a speech on Tuesday Guterres said:”It is important to also recognise the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum.
“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,” said the secretary general.
The UN general secretary qualified his remarks saying:”But the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas.
“Nothing can justify the deliberate killing, injuring and kidnapping of civilians – or the launching of rockets against civilian targets.”
He also added:”And those appalling attacks cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.”
Erdan responded saying Guterres “is not fit to lead the UN” and called for him to “resign immediately”.
He added:”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.”
It comes after Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said he will not meet Mr Guterres, seemingly cancelling an expected meeting.
“I will not meet with the UN secretary-general,” he wrote on X.
“After the October 7th massacre, there is no place for a balanced approach. Hamas must be erased off the face of the planet.”
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