Earlier in the evening, Ban called on Israel to halt its violence against children in Gaza as he addressed the UN Security Council.
Gadi Eisenkot, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Moshe Ya’alon
From left: IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon pay a visit to the IDF’s Home Front Command. (photo credit:KOBI GIDEON/GPO) late Thursday night in response to UN Secretary-General Ban KI-moon’s sharp criticism of Israeli actions in Gaza during last summer’s war with Hamas.
“It turns out, there is no limit to the United Nations hypocrisy,” Netanyahu added.
Earlier in the evening Ban called on Israel to halt its violence against children in Gaza as he addressed the UN Security Council.
“I urge Israel to take concrete and immediate steps, including by reviewing existing policies and practices, to protect and prevent the killing and maiming of children and to respect the special protections afforded to schools and hospitals,” Ban said.
He spoke at an open UN Security Council meeting to debate the report on the dangers that children in war zones face, which was submitted by the UN’s Special Envoy on Children in Armed Conflict Leila Zerrougui of Algeria.
“Last year was one of the worst in recent memory for children in countries affected by conflict,” Ban told the UNSC.
Ban spoke against the grave violations against children in the Central African Republic, Iraq, Nigeria, South Sudan and the Syrian Arab Republic, as well as the suffering of those in Gaza as a result of Israel’s Operation Protective Edge.
But Israel was the only county he singled out for additional criticism and he made no mention of Hamas.
Netanyahu said, “Instead of mentioning the facts, that Hamas turned Gaza children into hostages by firing [rockets] at Israel.
“It dug terror tunnels in the direction of kindergartens. [But] the UN has chosen to preach to Israel, which has chosen to abide by international standards,” Netanyahu said.
Earlier this week former generals from the US and Europe declared that Israel had abided by international law during the summer, Netanyahu said.
Far from adopting this view, the “UN has granted Hamas immunity even though there is incontestable proof that Hamas committed war crimes when it launched rockets from hospital, mosques and UN facilities,” Netanyahu said.
Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely [Likud] added, that such a one sided approach was “very disturbing.”
Hotovely along with politicians from the center and the left of Israel’s political map, including Meretz, immediately took exception to Ban’s listing of Israel with the worst conflict zones.
“At a time when ongoing hostilities are raging throughout the Middle East at an enormous cost in terms of the lives of children and other civilians, this statement drew a comparison between Israel and states that are among the worst systematic violators of human rights,” Hotovely said.
Yesh Atid Party head MK Yair Lapid said, “the words of the UN secretary-general are disconnected from reality.”
Ban didn’t mention, not even once, that Hamas used Palestinian children as human shields so that it could launch rockets against Israeli children, Lapid said.
Even Meretz MK Ilan Gilon spoke out against Ban and charged that he had “lowered the moral foundation of any criticism the UN and its organization would level against Israel.”
He added that “what Israel has forgotten about human rights, other countries under scrutiny have yet to learn.”
B K M lives in a Muslim tower. By now he should be fluent in Arabic.
Ban Ki-Moon serves at the pleasure of the 57 member Islamic block that dominates all non-security council functions at the United Nations. If he weren’t anti-Israel he wouldn’t be Secretary-General so his hatred is pretty much obligatory. It is the equivalent of the American Nazi Party Reichsfuhrer saying that he doesn’t watch Seinfeld.
George: You’ve got to apologize.
Jerry: Why?
George: Because it’s the mature and adult thing to do.
Jerry: How does that affect me?
It is really pathetic to continue to “protest” while doing nothing else.
The “un”, its Allied members that is, connived against Israel from even before our so called independence.
Some of those involved did not even then vote for us. England as one…
Actions speak stronger than words.
There is no reason to allow “un” spies in Eretz Israel.
There is no reason to rely on so called ” un peace keepers” at our borders. They serve to store ammo for our enemies in one way or another.
The very connection to the un” is mystifying … to me.
All “un” bases and operatives here must be expelled.
And…
The imported by Rabin and Peres Muslim murderous beasts must be set out to where they came from as well. And any volunteer to join them… welcome!