Middle East Contradictions

Middle East Contradictions

During a Sky Television interview on February 14^th, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator (OCHA) Martin Griffiths said that “Hamas is not a terrorist organization for us. It is a political movement.”

This elicited widespread condemnation, especially when considering Hamas’s barbaric attack on Israel, wanton murder of over 1200 Israelis, and the kidnapping and holding hostage of over 250 Men, women, children, and babies.

When asked about Israel’s insistence that Hamas could never be part of a future Palestinian government, Mr. Griffiths added that “it is very, very difficult to dislodge these groups without a negotiated solution which Includes their aspirations”.

Israel’s Ambassador to the U.N. was quick to respond. He called OCHA a “terror-excusing, Hamas-promoting, victim blaming organization”. He went on to tell Mr. Griffiths “You are no humanitarian. Sadly, you are a terror collaborator”.

Hamas’s basic aspiration as expressed by its own leadership has always been and continues to be the eliminate Israel and Jews from the face of the earth.

That makes any possibility of a long-term resolution of differences between Hamas and Israel impossible.

When I served at the U.N. I was always dismayed by the anti-Israel and anti-Semitic attitudes of many in the Secretariat. Mr. Griffiths appears to me to be a descendent of the Arabists in the United Kingdom Foreign Office who have long been anti-Israeli since the days of the mandate.

Given what we know of UNRWA and its pro-Hamas stance throughout its history, can we simply dismiss Mr. Griffith’s statements as a “lapsus menti”?.

I think not.

It fits the pattern of UNRWA’s unwavering support for and collaboration with Hamas and its total disdain for Israel.

Can Mr. Griffiths survive his term as head of OCHA, or will he have to step down?

In purely legal terms, the United Nations Security Council has not designated Hamas as a terrorist organization. While Mr. Griffiths may wish to hide behind this shield, his comments and UNRWA’s behavior demonstrate a lack of sensitivity to Jews and Israelis everywhere and cater to the U.N.’s propensity to foster a climate of victimization for the Palestinians that has lasted 75 years.

No other group of refugees has had refugee status handed down from one generation to another, nor has any other group of refugees been gifted billions of dollars in assistance. And, indeed, I cannot think of any other group of refugees who have used U.N. funding (our tax dollars) to sustain a massive terrorist structure and carry out their activities.

There is no doubt that the deaths, as reported by Hamas, of over 28,000 Palestinians remains a cause for sadness and concern while at the same time will likely significantly increase anti-Israeli and antisemitic sentiment globally.

There are reports that some Gazans are demonstrating their opposition to the Hamas regime and its leaders and that some have actually demonstrated their hostility publicly.

But would they replace the Hamas regime with one more amenable to a form of peace with Israel?

Many Israelis disapprove of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government, but all are united in understanding the existential fight at hand and share the concern for the remaining hostages who have suffered untold viciousness at the hands of their Hamas captors.

How can Israelis make peace with an opponent that is hell bent on their destruction?

These are the imponderables that the international community faces.

But a first step must be to disband UNRWA, purge the U.N. of biased officials, and ensure that both sides accept the impartiality of the organization as a valid interlocutor.

Absent this, everyone will be chasing their tails and failing at any attempt to establish a viable and productive dialogue.