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U.S. Envoy Slams UNSC for Ignoring Hamas Rockets, Singling out Israel for Discrimination

Jason Greenblatt, the United States Special Representative for International Negotiations, has blasted the UN Security Council for singling out Israel for discrimination just days after four Israelis were killed in the worst round of fighting between the Jewish State and Palestinian terrorist groups in Gaza since the 2014 war.

“Where is the urgent condemnation from this room for that unconscionable, sustained attack? Where is the sympathy and the solidarity for the people of Israel?” Greenblatt asked. “All I hear is silence.”

The U.S. envoy made an unusual appearance Thursday at an informal Security Council gathering organized by Indonesia, which currently holds the body’s rotating presidency. The Jewish State was not invited to speak at the event, which was held on Israel’s 71st Independence Day.

“Instead of seeking accountability for Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad – terrorist groups that seek to blackmail the Israeli people through mass violence while putting the lives of the Palestinians of Gaza at risk – we are rehashing tired talking points, some 20 years old,” Greenblatt said.

The envoy charged that, “It is truly shameful that in these halls there have been nearly 700 resolutions condemning actions of Israel – the region’s only real democracy – yet not one condemning Hamas’s attacks on Israelis or its abuse and neglect of the very people it purports to govern.”

In December, the UN General Assembly failed to condemn Hamas due to procedural obstacles. A last-minute motion was made to require a two-thirds majority on the U.S.-led resolution, which was dismissed by then-U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley as a politically motivated move to shield Hamas from criticism.

“It is baffling and disappointing to see the obvious, continual anti-Israel bias here (…) in the same halls where just a few months ago, member states failed to condemn Hamas, a known terrorist organization that just a few days ago fired close to 700 rockets at Israel, including at hospitals and schools,” Greenblatt blasted the council.

He also rejected the charge that Israeli settlements were the major “obstacle to peace.” Instead, Greenblatt blamed the Palestinian Authority’s generous financial “reward” to terrorists and their families for the absence of negotiations. The envoy also castigated council members who have continued to provide direct financial support to the PA.

[Photo: U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv / Wikimedia Commons]