At a session of the UN Security Council dedicated to developments in the Middle East, Acting US Alternate Representative to the UN John Kelley condemned antisemitism and reaffirmed America’s firm backing of Israel, while sharply criticizing Hamas for both its violent conduct and for blocking humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Kelley opened his remarks by mourning the loss of two victims of a deadly attack at a Jewish event in Washington: Israeli Embassy official Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, an American citizen. “Yaron and Sarah were murdered for no other reason than the assailant wanted to kill Jews,” he said. “It is horrific and shameful. We can and must do better to combat the sickening rise in antisemitism around the world.”
He referenced Lischinsky’s final social media message, which denounced what he called antisemitic behavior at the UN, and singled out Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs. According to Kelley, Fletcher falsely accused Israel of “genocide” and claimed that “14,000 babies were about to die within 48 hours,” which Kelley dismissed as “an abject falsehood.”
Highlighting the tragic irony of the situation, Kelley noted that the attack that claimed the lives of Lischinsky and Milgrim took place at a gathering focused on delivering aid to Gaza. “But that didn’t matter. They were targeted because of who they were.”
Kelley emphasized Washington’s ongoing commitment to resolving the conflict and liberating the hostages still held in Gaza. “The United States has been working to free the hostages and bring this war to an end, one that Hamas brutally started.” He also criticized certain UN member nations for their silence on Hamas, stating, “Forget that these actions endanger hostages. The actual outcome is condemning civilians in Gaza to remain under Hamas’s control for another generation.”
He stressed that progress depends on eliminating Hamas. “In order to move forward, Hamas must be defeated,” Kelley said. He quoted Secretary Rubio, who warned, “If an ember survives, it will spark again into a fire. There can be no peaceful and prosperous Gaza as long as Hamas governs it by force.”
Kelley urged the international community to demand that Hamas relinquish its weapons and depart Gaza, while calling for the return of all hostages, including the remains of four Americans. “We will not rest until every hostage has been returned from Gaza.”
Turning to humanitarian efforts, Kelley voiced support for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation as a viable way to send aid without empowering Hamas. “We support the new initiative to resume the flow of aid through preexisting mechanisms… The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is an independent entity established to provide a secure mechanism for the delivery of aid directly to those in need.”
He appealed to the UN to cooperate with both Israel and the Foundation to put the plan into action, emphasizing the need to ensure that assistance reaches civilians rather than being siphoned off by “Hamas and other terrorist and criminal groups.”
Referencing President Donald Trump, Kelley said, “Before our eyes, a new generation of leaders is transcending the ancient conflicts and tired divisions of the past, and forging a future where the Middle East is defined by commerce, not chaos.”
In his closing comments, Kelley reaffirmed the US position against any move to unilaterally declare Palestinian statehood. “The United States stands with Israel in unequivocally rejecting any effort to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state or impose conditions on Israel, which would be an unconscionable reward for the heinous Hamas attack on Israel.”
“The United States will do its part to help forge this new reality alongside Israel and our Arab partners,” Kelley concluded.
{Matzav.com}