The UN’s betrayal of Israel amid Iran’s proxy war – opinion

The Iranian regime has made its intentions very clear as the Jewish people marked one year since its proxy Hamas launched the worst terror attack in Israel’s history and transitioned into their holy days this October. Through Hamas, the Houthis, and Hezbollah, Iran has continued intimidating Israel with impunity. And the United Nations remains adamant that Israel surrender its war to defend itself and the free world.

Perhaps God is sending a message. We know that, by now, when people tell us who they are, we should listen the first time. Israel’s enemies have told them for years, but much of the international community, including the United States, along with Israel’s peace-seeking Zionists, promoted diplomatic paths to peace. This resulted in significant agreements like the Oslo Accords and tremendous land concessions, notably withdrawing from Southern Lebanon in 2000 and Gaza in 2005. 

While all global actors share a global terrain, they do not share a language. Indeed, authoritarian regimes and terrorist organizations don’t understand or speak languages of diplomacy or peace.

This week, the annual reading of the Torah will conclude with the portion V’Zot HaBerachah, attesting that there has been no prophet like Moses in Israel since his time. Indeed, God knew Moses face to face and handed him all “the mighty hand and the great powers which he did before the eyes of all Israel.” 

Now is Israel’s chance to embody Moses’ legacy. Now is the time for Israel to deliver a knockout punch straight to the enemy’s jaw, as former Israeli ambassador to the United States Michael Oren recently noted. Now is Israel’s chance to ensure peace through strength for generations.

If the UN cared, it would act differently

Israel cannot trust the international community for its protection. On the eve of Rosh Hashanah, Iran launched a massive missile attack, and on Yom Kippur – as Jewish citizens of Israel were atoning and fasting – Hezbollah launched some 320 projectiles at Israel. Amid these persistent genocidal attempts, countries like France, Venezuela, and others have continued to urge Israel toward a ceasefire – in other words, to stop defending itself. On top of all of this, the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), with employees who aided and abetted the October 7 attacks, was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

World outrage over UNRWA’s nomination prevented the organization from winning the award. Yet, the mere consideration that a terrorist-tied organization could receive a Nobel Peace Prize in our modern, civilized world is ludicrous.

If the UN truly adhered to its values of creating an ordered and just world, it would act much differently toward Israel. The UN would have enforced the 2006 resolution 1701 that ended the Second Lebanon War, barring Hezbollah’s rearmament and presence in Southern Lebanon. It wouldn’t have permitted Iran and now, Qatar – which oppresses women, finances, protects, and promotes terrorism – to head the UN Human Rights Council.

Since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas War – essentially the war between Israel and Iran out in the open after 40 years of shadow warfare – UN Secretary-General António Guterres has greatly minimized the extent of the October 7 massacre and trivialized its impact on Israel and Jews around the world. 

Guterres has remained silent on Hezbollah’s rocket assault that began on October 8. He has ignored that some 90,000 Israelis were forced to evacuate, remain internally displaced, or have lost their homes. He trivializes the trauma that Israeli citizens bear, having watched the slaughter, rape, burning, and kidnapping of their family and friends. 

Guterres has failed to inform the world about the horrific conditions in which Israeli hostages are being held in tormenting tunnels. Hersh’s mother, Rachel Goldberg-Polin, shared that his emaciated, murdered body was found with multiple gunshot wounds up his legs, and 24-year-old Eden Yerushalmi, also killed in cold blood, lying on his lap.

The unabated terror and ubiquitous celebrations of it can be attributed in part to Guterres, who is acting as a political sellout to enemies of Israel and the United States. Not only is Guterres betraying the very principles his institution promises, but he is allowing for the serious violation of UN-brokered international rules, all while hypocritically advocating for de-escalation.

In the realm of policy during wartime, we must not fixate only on tragedy but on morality. Despite collateral damage, an inevitable reality of war, Israel upholds its morality by targeting terrorists and striving to avoid civilians. Look no further than the IDF dropping leaflets warning civilians to evacuate prior to military incursions, and most notably, through the pager operation – the most precisely targeted anti-terrorist operation in history that shattered Hezbollah’s communication networks. Contrary to the narrative that much of the global public opinion has accepted, Israel regularly sends food and aid into Gaza; however, Hamas terrorists steal these supplies and kill any innocent civilians who attempt to access them.

There can be no moral equivalence between Israel and Iran or any of its proxies. Israel’s intent is to live safely in its small parcel of land, while Iran and its proxies are bent on irrational ideological, genocidal, and theological goals.

Israel’s campaign against Iran is both justified and necessary. Israel’s military endeavors are not only crucial for its own survival but also imperative for the safety of the Jewish diaspora, America, and the free world. It is also vital to ensure regional stability whereby Palestinians and other Arab populations are not subject to repression of Hamas-like leadership or influence that strips them of a future.

Israel’s victory over the evil tyranny of Iran is critical to the prosperity of new Palestinian generations. Free of jihadist and antisemitic indoctrination and monetary incentives to slay Israeli civilians, the Palestinian future can beam bright with opportunity and wellsprings of life. 

Israel’s pursuit of justice is not centered around waging war – war, and killing are actions Israel has always sought to avoid. Justice for Israel is not merely defined by eliminating terrorist leaders like Hassan Nasrallah, Ismail Haniyeh, and Yahya Sinwar, either. Israel’s justice, and that of the free world, would be bringing the hostages home. The ultimate justice is ensuring that a catastrophe like the events of October 7 never happens again in Israel or anywhere else. Israel is doing the UN’s job for it and should be praised for stepping up to fulfill the responsibilities the UN has failed to uphold.

The writer is a senior at George Washington University.