Israelis and Palestinians clash at U.N. meeting amid ongoing tension
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Raven Ruma
- . January 19, 2023
- . Update: January 19, 2023 7:49 pm
The Israeli and Palestinian ambassadors to the United Nations clashed at the U.N. meeting in New York amid ongoing clashes in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
The UN held the routine session on the Israel-Palestinian conflict at UN headquarters in New York. The official discussed the current situation in the West Bank, Jerusalem holy sites, and the dispute between Israelis and Palestinians.
Israel’s U.N. ambassador accused the Palestinians of stabbing a knife into Israel by asking for an International Court of Justice investigation into Israel’s decades-old occupation. Palestinian U.N. envoy accused Israel’s new government of crushing Palestinians.
Israel’s envoy to the UN, Gilad Erdan, accused Palestine of scaring people with the help of manipulation and abuse of international bodies. Erdan said that the Palestinians exploit an automatic anti-Israel majority during the UN meeting.
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Reportedly, U.N. Mideast envoy, Tor Wennesland, warned that “a dangerous cycle of violence persists on the ground, amidst increased political tension and a stalled peace process.”
The UN General Assembly voted to support the Palestine Authority’s request to give an expert opinion on the Israeli-Palestine conflict on December 30, 2022. The UN General Assembly approved the resolution with 87 votes in favour, 26 votes against the resolution, with 53 abstaining.
Palestine urged the UN to give an opinion of Israeli policies in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Subsequently, the Israeli new government approved moves to punish the Palestinians in retaliation. Israel announced a package of five sanctions against the PA. Israel’s Security Cabinet approved these sanctions, accusing them of working against Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Palestinians were targeting Israelis. Under the approved measures, Israel took $39 million from the Palestinian Authority and sent the funds to a compensation program for the families of Israeli victims impacted by Palestinian militant attacks.
