Ban has chosen the wrong side before – remember this handshake with a brutal dictator? Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (right) shakes hands with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (left). Illustrative. Photo Courtesy of UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe.
The leader of the United Nations tried in vain to speak against Palestinian terrorism while also slamming Israel as well, and as a result implied that Israeli actions and the floundering Palestinian economy are behind the wave of Palestinian terror that has killed dozens of Israelis and wounded hundreds more. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon made it clear he condemned the Palestinian terrorism, but then shockingly hinted that the victim—Israel—was to blame for it.
“As oppressed peoples have demonstrated throughout the ages, it is human nature to react to occupation, which often serves as a potent incubator of hate and extremism,” said Ban, in comments published on the UN News Centre website. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly opposed the UN head’s insinuations, saying the comments “give a tailwind to terrorism.”
Ban did say that “incitement has no place, and that questioning the right of Israel to exist cannot be tolerated,” but he failed to note that the Palestinians have repeatedly refused to accept Israel’s offer to negotiate peace without conditions. Considering it is Israeli civilians being murdered in the streets and even at home, Ban spent very little time critiquing the violent Palestinians and most of the time blasting Israeli actions he considered provocative.
This included the construction of Israeli homes in territory claimed by the Palestinians.
In comments released by his office, Netanyahu said of Ban’s words, “There is no justification for terrorism. The Palestinian murderers do not want to build a state—they want to destroy a state and they say this openly. They want to murder Jews simply because they are Jews and they say this openly. They do not murder for peace and they do not murder for human rights.”
Anti-Israel controversy at the UN is nothing new, as Netanyahu noted in his comments. “The UN lost its neutrality and moral force a long time ago,” said the Israeli leader, “and the Secretary General’s remarks do not improve the situation.”
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, citing the Magen David Adom medical group, said that since September 13 of last year, 30 have been killed by terrorism with almost 300 wounded.
Ban didn’t limit his rationale for the upswing in terror to Israeli actions. He blamed the Palestinian economy as well, arguing that a truly unified Palestinian government could help there. “Genuine unity will also improve the Palestinian Government’s ability to meet pressing economic problems, which are adding to the frustration and anger driving Palestinian violence,” said Ban.
Ironically, Ban mentioned the “relentless wave of extremist terror” across the Middle East, but didn’t provide any reasons for that. Instead, Ban apparently believes ISIS and those like them can be beaten back by handshakes and a piece of paper as he claimed Israeli-Palestinian peace would somehow serve as “opportunity to restore hope” to the region.
(By Joshua Spurlock, www.themideastupdate.com, January 26, 2011)