Israel cancels planned meeting: UN chief Guterres’ speech causes scandal

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During a meeting of the World Security Council, a scandal occurred between Israel and UN Secretary General António Guterres (74). During Tuesday’s meeting in New York, Guterres again strongly condemned the attacks on Israel by terrorists on behalf of the Islamist Hamas.

He also said, referring to Israel’s 56-year “oppressive occupation”: “It is important to recognize that Hamas’ attacks did not occur in a vacuum.”

Guterres criticized the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip. “Protecting civilians does not mean ordering more than a million people to evacuate to the south, where there is no shelter, no food, no water, no medicine, no fuel, and then continuing the bombing of the south itself,” he said.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs cancels the meeting

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen (51) canceled a meeting with Guterres because of the statements and wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “I will not meet the UN Secretary General. After October 7, there is no longer room for a balanced position.” A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem confirmed the cancellation.

When asked by the German news agency, a UN spokesperson said the cancellation of the meeting could not be confirmed. You only saw Cohen’s message on platform X. The spokesperson did not want to comment further on the situation.

According to diplomatic sources, some Arab delegations left the room during Cohen’s speech, including those from Algeria and Libya. However, representatives of Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates remained seated.

A ‘distorted and immoral view’

UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan (53) also strongly condemned Guterres’ statements. Erdan Guterres accused the statement that “the murderous terrorist attack by Nazi Hamas did not take place in a vacuum” as a justification for terror and murder. Guterres has a “distorted and immoral view” of the carnage carried out by Hamas terrorists in Israel on October 7, Erdan wrote on

Guterres said the Palestinian people have seen their country decimated by settlements and ravaged by violence. Hamas’ attacks could not justify the “collective punishment of the Palestinian people,” he said.

Israel’s Foreign Minister rejected a ceasefire with drastic words. “Tell me: what is your proportionate response to the killing of babies, the rape and burning of women and the beheading of a child? “How can you make a truce with someone who has sworn to kill you and destroy your existence?” Cohen shouted. “We did not choose this war, but we have no doubt that we will win.” Hamas are “the new Nazis”.

The US stands with Israel

The US supported Israel. “We must affirm the right of every nation to defend itself and prevent such harm from happening again,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, 61, said. “Not a single member of this council, not a single nation in this entire body could or would tolerate the slaughter of its people.”

Blinken emphasized that Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people. Palestinian civilians cannot be held responsible for Hamas’ massacre and must be protected. “There is no hierarchy when it comes to protecting civilian life. A citizen is a citizen, is a citizen, regardless of nationality, ethnicity, age, gender or creed,” Blinken said. (SDA/bab)

Source: Blick