Posted on 01/10/24
| News Source: Arutz-7
A group of 36 left-wing rabbis and rabbinical students from anti-Israel organizations staged a protest inside the United Nations yesterday (Tuesday) against the US government's use of its veto against Security Council resolutions calling for a ceasefire between Israel and the Hamas terrorist organization.
The Rabbis 4 Ceasefire, Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, Jewish Voice for Peace, and IfNotNow organizations organized the protest.
Protestors entered the Security Council as part of a guided tour, the Huffington Post reported. They held up signs and banners demanding a ceasefire in violation of UN regulations. They sang the Hebrew song 'Lo Yissa Goy el Goy Herev' (national shall not lift up sword against nation), a quote from the Jewish Prophet Isiah about the peace humanity will know in messianic times.
While members of the public are permitted to enter the Security Council chamber as part of a tour, they are not permitted to hold a demonstration there or even make statements. Ordinarily, such conduct would result in violators being immediately ejected by security. This time, the protesters were permitted to stage their protest without interruption from security.
Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, praised thee protestors despite their violations of the UN's rules.
In response to a reporter's question on the incident, Dujarric said: "They were a very nice group of about 49 people. I think about 40 of them sat in the visitors’ gallery in the Security Council, but there was no meeting going on. About nine of them were in the General Assembly on the top of the balcony. They came in as part of tour groups. They were calling for a ceasefire. They were asked to leave. Everything was done, I think, with an extreme level of cooperation and politeness. And they wanted to be heard. And I think they were heard. We took down their information. And their only message was for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, which is frankly what we’ve all been calling for here, as well."