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Brazil’s Foreign Minister blasted the 15-member UN Security Council on Monday for its “inability to act” on the many crises facing the world, particularly the Israel-Gaza war.
“The eyes of the world are staring at us and will not move away from our distressing inability to act,” said Mauro Vieira, whose country currently holds the Security Council's rotating presidency.
“They all see that our incapacity to unite in response to the humanitarian crises facing us today questions the very raison d'etre of this council."
“We have the means to get something done and yet we repeatedly and shamefully fail.”
Speaking at an emergency Security Council session requested by the UAE, the Brazilian minister argued that the body is not able to discharge its responsibility of safeguarding international peace and security due to old antagonisms – and this is “morally unacceptable”.
“The Security Council holds meetings and hears speeches, without being able to take a fundamental decision: to end the human suffering on the ground,” he said.
The UN General Assembly adopted a non-binding resolution last week calling for an immediate humanitarian truce in the Israel-Gaza war, but the Security Council has so far been unable to reach agreement on any text related to the conflict.
Since October 7, the UN Security Council has met several times and rejected four draft resolutions submitted by Russia, the US and Brazil.
With permanent members Russia, China and the US applying their vetoes to previous resolutions, the Security Council's 10 elected members have begun working on a new draft they hope will garner consensus.
“At the risk of restating the obvious, I want to put it bluntly: there cannot be rescuing of hostages and humanitarian aid under shells,” stressed Mr Vieira.
The latest draft resolution, seen by The National, which rejects and condemns “the heinous terrorist attacks by Hamas” on October 7, demands “urgent humanitarian pauses”.
Palestine’s UN ambassador Riyad Mansour also implored the council to act.
“The General Assembly acted. The Secretary General acted … humanitarian agencies and the heroes leading them … acted,” he said.
But there is one important body still not acting: “It is you.”
Gilad Erdan, Israel’s UN ambassador, who wore a yellow star with the words inscribed "never again", attacked the "silence" of the UN Security Council in the face of atrocities committed by the "Nazi Hamas terrorists."
“Our enemies have become emboldened. They have seen that this council has not even condemned the Nazi murderers,” he said.
“They have even seen the UN General Assembly applauding efforts to prevent the Jews from defending ourselves."
The Israeli diplomat continued: “And this is precisely why we have seen the most staggering rise in Jew-hatred since the Nuremburg laws and their aftermath. The anti-Semites have been empowered.”
Inside the Gaza Strip – in pictures
