Netanyahu: Ban\’s criticism of IDF actions in Gaza is a black day for the UN

 

“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.”