‘Extremely Unpleasant Fact’: Russia’s UN Diplomats Lash out at US, West, Israel

November 29, 2023 News
Vassily Nebenzia at a press conference following the UN vote on the Gaza resolution. (Photo: UN, video grab)

Russia accused the US of playing a “destructive role” in the latest escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict due to Washington’s Middle East policies.

The West is not interested in protecting the interests of the Palestinians, it considers them second-class people, Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzia said.

“During these weeks, an extremely unpleasant fact has become clear: the Palestinians are a second-class people for the West, which is simply not interested in protecting their interests. This is the main reason for the problems the Council faces in making decisions,” the diplomat said at a UN Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East.

‘Moral Imperative’ 

“For almost two months, the international community, humanitarian agencies, non-governmental organizations and ordinary citizens have been calling on the Council to demand that the parties cease fire immediately. Russia has been saying this since the very beginning of the escalation,” Nebenzia pointed out.

“But this call has not yet been heard. And a sustainable ceasefire is not only a moral imperative, it is the only guarantee of an effective humanitarian response, which simply cannot be carried out under the conditions of hostilities,” the diplomat said.

The envoy pointed out that the Middle East resolution adopted by the UN Security Council as a result of the US position provides only for humanitarian pauses and lacks a mechanism for monitoring the implementation of its provisions.

“Its initially correct message turned out to be extremely emasculated by the US efforts and does not contain a requirement for a ceasefire, as well as does not provide for practical measures to ensure wide and unimpeded access to those in need, to provide assistance to the victims,” Nebenzia noted.

On November 15, the UN Security Council adopted the Maltese draft humanitarian resolution on the Middle East aimed at helping children in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone.

Of the 15 members of the Council, 12 supported the document, while the United Kingdom, Russia and the United States abstained. The Council rejected Moscow’s amendment to the resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire leading to a cessation of hostilities.

‘Destruction Role’

For his part, Russia’s deputy permanent representative to the UN has accused the US of playing a “destructive role” in the latest escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict due to Washington’s Middle East policies.

“The policies of the US which meant that it kept turning a blind eye to the ongoing Israeli settlement construction in the occupied (Palestinian) territories and recognized Israel’s sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights, have played a destructive role in the current escalation,” Dmitry Chumakov told the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.

“As a result, we are now witnessing a conflict of unprecedented scope, which may spread to the entire Middle Eastern,” he added.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, the death toll of Israel’s war has risen to over 15,000 Palestinians, including over 6,150 children and more than 4,000 women.

(TASS, PC, MEMO)

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