Greenblatt: U.N.'s refusal to condemn Hamas 'will never achieve peace'

Trump's Special Coordinator for Mideast Peace criticized the UNGA for their refusal to condemn Hamas in an OpEd in The Hill.

DECEMBER 29, 2018 03:56

Updated: DECEMBER 30, 2018 00:14

Jason Greenblatt (photo credit: Courtesy) — Jason Greenblatt

(photo credit: Courtesy)

Jason Greenblatt, US President Donald Trump’s Special Coordinator for Mideast Peace, criticized the recent failures of the United Nations to condemn Hamas’s “terrorist activities” in an op-ed he wrote for The Hill published on Thursday.

“The UN has condemned Israel – a UN member state – hundreds of times,” Greenblatt said, “But it has never condemned Hamas, the terrorist group that controls Gaza and terrorizes the people of Israel.”

The piece received support from US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, who wrote on Twitter, praising Greenblatt who is “spot on in his criticism of the UN and the pathetic failure of the General Assembly to condemn terrorists who attack Israel and its citizens.”

My colleague @jdgreenblatt45 is spot on in his criticism of the U.N. and the pathetic failure of the General Assembly to condemn terrorists who attack Israel and its citizens. His piece below is worth a read: https://t.co/R22ZGibVi1
— David M. Friedman (@USAmbIsrael) December 28, 2018

Greenblatt explained that the US offered a resolution that would include condemning Hamas in the UN General Assembly, but that opponents of the resolution “altered the rules to require a two-thirds majority – rather than a simple majority – for the resolution to pass.”

He described the UN conversations as having an “anti-Israel bias,” but thanked Trump and outgoing US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, adding that “we are closer than ever before to taking a stand against Hamas.”

Greenblatt explained that Hamas is also harming the Palestinians who live in Gaza, since their refusal to relinquish arms is preventing financial aid from entering Gaza.

The PA opposed the resolution, despite their having claimed to suffer from Hamas’s reign in Gaza.

“In actuality, the PA hurt the Palestinian people, hurt the reputation of the Palestinian Authority in the international arena and, once again, hurt the prospects for peace. This will never achieve peace. Palestinians need it, Israelis need it and the world needs it,” Greenblatt wrote.