Prof. Anne Bayefsky, the director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust and President of Human Rights Voices, told Arutz Sheva on Monday that reports that the UN Security Council finally held a session devoted to the issue of Israeli hostages last week are false.
She clarified that a meeting took place but it was not an official gathering of the Security Council.
“The UN remains fast at work covering up its appalling treatment of the hostages and ongoing Palestinian sexual atrocities against Jews,” she said. “Contrary to the misinformation that the UN Security Council held its first-ever meeting devoted to the hostages, the Council refused to hold a meeting devoted to the hostages. It was precisely because of that refusal that a Council member sponsored a so-called Arria formula meeting of interested states on the subject. It was not an official meeting. It was not even held in the Council’s official chamber. And to top it all off, not a single UN official appeared.”
“None of this is accidental. The Security Council has never condemned Hamas and October 7th. And UN chief Secretary-General Guterres is leading the campaign to divert attention from the terrible reality of Israeli victims as part of an overall strategy to deny Israel its fundamental right – its duty – of self-defense.”
During the meeting, Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan slammed the council for its lack of action on returning the hostages.
“Our hostages have been held in Gaza for 223 days, and this is the first meeting being held by any UN body to focus on their suffering and ways to release them,” Erdan said. “In the past 32 weeks since October 7th, the Security Council and the UN have done practically nothing to secure the release of the hostages. It is heartbreaking and amoral.”
“The hostages are the most urgent and critical humanitarian issue that the Council must focus on. The reason the war started was not because of the humanitarian situation in Gaza. There was a ceasefire on October 6th. The reason this war started was because Hamas took our loved ones hostage and refused to release them! Kidnapping the hostages is why this war began and the hostages are why this war continues!”
“If the Council truly wants this war to end, then bringing the hostages home should be the top priority! How do you think the Israeli people feel when they see the dozens of UN meetings held only on the humanitarian situation in Gaza, and not even one meeting, formally, dedicated to securing the release of the hostages?”
“Until today, the inaction of the UN has been outrageous, but its true effect will be felt in the years to come. It has become clear to all that taking innocents hostage as a weapon in the hands of terrorists bears no consequences from the international community. This inaction may lead to a catastrophic precedent that will incentivize rogue entities to kidnap civilians,” Erdan warned.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
One Response
A UN that conveys condolences about the way too late death of the Butcher of Iran, is not an organization that is looking to bring peace to the world. And most his victims were thoroughbred Iranian goyim. They should be booted out of NYC and sent to Timbuktu or the likes.