Israel’s U.N. ambassador sees a “worrisome trend” in the discussions on the Middle East.
Dan Gillerman, speaking to the Security Council during its monthly meeting on the Middle East, noted “a particularly worrisome trend when it comes to the discourse concerning our region. Some have a penchant for equating the lawful actions of states in defense of their citizens with the violence of terrorists whose goal is to endanger those very civilians.
“The bombs keep ticking” even though there is a lull in Hamas attacks, he said.
“The rockets out of Gaza have not stopped,” Gillerman said. “Hamas is using this time to smuggle in and produce more rockets. Building rockets is not quiet. It is a silent promise — a promise of what is to come next: more terror and more violence, more extremism and more bloodshed.”
The Palestinian observer to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, called for the Security Council and the diplomatic Quartet of the United Nations, the United States, Russia and the European Union to revive the peace process, but not before excoriating Israel for acting without “law, morality and humanity.”
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon spoke of stepping up efforts to complete a peace deal by the end of the year.
“I believe all of us must ask ourselves, and the parties, two simple questions: If not this, what? If not now, when?” Ban said.
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