October 24, 2023
We must affirm the right of any nation to defend itself and to prevent such horror from repeating itself.
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a United Nations Security Council meeting on Tuesday regarding the situation in the Middle East amid the Israel-Hamas war.
Why It Matters: In his remarks, Blinken discussed a resolution the U.S. has put forward at the UN Security Council. He explained that the U.S.’ resolution emphasizes four points: 1) Recognizing “the right, and indeed the imperative, of states to defend themselves against terrorism,” 2) agreeing on the “vital need to protect civilians,” 3) being determined “to prevent this conflict from spreading,” and 4) agreeing on redoubling “collective efforts to build an enduring political solution to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians,” adding that, “The only road to lasting peace and security in the region, the only way to break out of this horrific cycle of violence, is through two states for two peoples.” The Associated Press reports that some expected the U.S.’ draft resolution “might be voted on Tuesday, but diplomats said it was still being negotiated.”
What is a U.N. Resolution? The U.N. explains that “Resolutions are formal expressions of the opinion or will of UN organs”; U.N. principal organs include a Security Council, the General Assembly, an Economic and Social Council, a Trusteeship Council, an International Court of Justice and a Secretariat. Read more about the U.N. Security Council HERE.
Israel vows again to destroy Hamas, rejecting calls for a cease-fire in Gaza at a major UN meeting (The Associated Press)
Transcript: Secretary Antony J. Blinken At the UN Security Council Ministerial Meeting on the Situation in the Middle East (U.S. State Department)
Watch Blinken’s full speech below:
by Leah Grainery, based in Texas
