The United States vetoed a United Nations resolution Friday that demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. The U.S. was the lone dissenter, with 13 countries on the Security Council voting for the measure and the United Kingdom abstaining. France and Japan were among those voting in favor.
Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Robert Wood told the council that the resolution was “divorced from reality”:
“We still cannot comprehend why the resolution’s authors declined to include language condemning Hamas’ horrific terrorist attack on Israel on October 7,” Wood said, explaining that other recommended provisions raised by the U.S. were ignored.
Before the vote, Wood admitted what so many ceasefire advocates ignore: Hamas has no interest in peace, and a ceasefire would “only plant the seeds for the next war.” He said:
Hamas has no desire to see a durable peace, to see a two-state solution. For that reason, while the United States strongly supports a durable peace, in which both Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace and security, we do not support calls for an immediate cease-fire.
The United States is one of the five permanent members of the council and, therefore, holds veto power.
Although representatives from many countries expressed their anger over the move by the U.S. — Russia’s deputy ambassador called it “one of the darkest days in the history of the Middle East,” as if Russia were suddenly a legitimate voice on the subject of peace — Israel’s ambassador held firm and said Hamas must be neutralized:
Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan stressed that regional stability and the security of Israelis and Gazans “can only be achieved once Hamas is eliminated — not one minute before.”
“So the true path to ensure peace is only through supporting Israel’s mission — absolutely not to call for a cease-fire,” he told the council. “Israel committed itself to the elimination of Hamas’ capabilities for the sole reason of ensuring that such horrors could never be repeated again. And if Hamas is not destroyed, such horrors will be repeated.”
Erdan thanked America for its support, while also blasting the premise of the resolution:
It is shocking that while Hamas is firing rockets at Israel from population centers in southern Gaza, the UN is busy debating a distorted resolution that will enable Hamas’ terrorists to stay in power in Gaza and does not condemn Hamas or call for the release of the hostages. A ceasefire will be possible only with the return of all the hostages and the destruction of Hamas.
The calls from so many regarding a permanent ceasefire ignore reality. They make it sound like a mutual thing, where both Israel and Hamas would put down their weapons, but in reality we all know that it would only be Israel standing down. Hamas has no intention of making peace with the Jewish state, and if Israel backs off, the terrorists will just wait for their next opportunity to create more carnage.
Meanwhile, it sends a message to the world: you can do what you want to Israel and you won’t have to face the consequences. I can only imagine if such an attack had emanated from our southern border and terrorists brutally killed our citizens in such mind-blowing numbers (the 1,200 Israeli dead are “equivalent to some 40,000 Americans” in population terms). We would wipe whatever group was behind it off the planet, and it’s doubtful many countries would call for a “ceasefire.” If they did, we would likely tell them what to do with it.
The situation in Gaza is indeed tragic, and civilians are getting killed in the battle. But the U.N. Security Council and the myriad groups calling for a ceasefire keep leaving out one thing: Hamas could negotiate one in five minutes.
Let out the hostages, lay down your arms, and stop attacking Israel, and you won’t get invaded by the IDF. The U.N. would gain more credibility if they brought up a resolution demanding that.
