Israel slams UN chief's hypocrisy on terrorism - Shlomo Cesana, Yoni Hersch, Israel Hayom Staff and News Agencies

by Shlomo Cesana, Yoni Hersch, Israel Hayom Staff

After U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon calls it "human nature to react to occupation," PM Benjamin Netanyahu says Ban's remarks provided "a tailwind to terrorism" • "The U.N. lost its neutrality and moral force a long time ago," Netanyahu says.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Photo credit: Reuters

Israeli officials in Jerusalem were infuriated on Tuesday by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's criticism of settlement activities in Judea and Samaria. 

Addressing the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday, Ban said, "As oppressed peoples have demonstrated throughout the ages, it is human nature to react to occupation." The U.N. chief called Israeli settlement activities "an affront to the Palestinian people and to the international community. ... They rightly raise fundamental questions about Israel's commitment to a two-state solution." 
 

 Credit: Reuters, GPO 

 At the same Security Council meeting, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Samantha Power said the U.S. "strongly opposes settlement activity," but she added that "settlement activity can never in itself be an excuse for violence."

Later on Tuesday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a stinging response to Ban.

"The U.N. secretary-general's remarks give a tailwind to terrorism," Netanyahu said. "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.

"The U.N. lost its neutrality and moral force a long time ago and the secretary-general's remarks do not improve the situation."

Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon accused the U.N. Security Council of hypocrisy, saying: "Once again, the State of Israel is singled out, and treated differently from all other nations in the world. During the past four months, Israelis have been stabbed in their homes, shot at in the streets, and run over by terrorists using cars as weapons. Over the course of this wave of violence, 30 people have been killed, and hundreds have been injured.

"During this period of time, the Council has adopted 12 resolutions, 12, against terrorism, and condemned terrorist attacks in France, Sinai, Lebanon, Mali, Tunisia, Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Somalia, and Sudan.

"Not once were the lives of Israelis murdered by terrorists recognized by this Council. No condemnation, no expression of solidarity, not even a statement of concern.

"The facts don't lie. The Security Council has been hypocritical when it comes to Israel."

Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely said, "Terrorism in Paris and terrorism in Otniel is the same terrorism."

In a Facebook post, Construction Minister Yoav Gallant asked, "Will the U.N. secretary-general also justify the terrorists from France?"

Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid said: "Terrorism against innocent civilians cannot be justified, we must not provide explanations for it. It is inconceivable that anyone in the world -- certainly not the U.N. secretary-general -- says that terror is the 'result' of something."

Shlomo Cesana, Yoni Hersch, Israel Hayom Staff  

Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=31383  

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