PassBlue is a daily news commentary on anything UN. It’s often furious with the UN, regardless of agency, subject, or obscurity. To my surprise today’s PassBlue critique of the UN, in particular unicef, and the USA’s representation in the long history of Gaza is subdued. It’s very critical, but its not hysterical.
PassBlue presents itself as familiar with how the UN is supposed to work. Ms. Russell is relatively a new director, and is now coming for strong criticism.
John Donohue
Click here to read the article on PassBlue
Summary:
The United Nations has been tiptoeing around words that might infuriate Israel and its allies while trying to push Israel to stop its bombardment on the enclave. Since the humanitarian pause ended on Dec. 1, at least 1,200 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, the UN says.
The UN has delicately maneuvered language to avoid angering Israel and its allies while urging de-escalation in Gaza, where over 1,200 Palestinians have been killed since fighting resumed Dec 1st. Ceasefire terminology was initially avoided, while contested words blocked Security Council resolutions.
Experts note the common refrain of Israel's right to "defend itself" implicitly justifies civilian deaths. As conditions deteriorate, Guterres discarded typical caution by invoking Article 99 on threats to international security, pushing for urgent Council action.
Briefings contain euphemisms like "lives lost" rather than Palestinian children killed. A UNICEF statement was critiqued for not naming perpetrators, structured as if casualties were dispersed, not concentrated in Gaza. Analysts contend language often dehumanizes Palestinians while humanizing Israeli suffering.
The US demands condemnation of Hamas terrorism but shows little equivalency for mass Gazan civilian casualties. Other allies echo similar stances. Though noting Gaza's humanitarian crisis, UN members evade directly calling on Israel to stop killings.
The muted responses disregard vast Israeli military superiority, decades of occupation, and a pattern of Palestinian child casualties predating October attacks. In a complex crisis, language matters, and critics contend the current rhetoric fails to articulate urgent need to save Gazan lives.
PassBlue presents itself as familiar with how the UN is supposed to work. Ms. Russell is relatively a new director, and is now coming for strong criticism.
John Donohue
Click here to read the article on PassBlue
Summary:
The United Nations has been tiptoeing around words that might infuriate Israel and its allies while trying to push Israel to stop its bombardment on the enclave. Since the humanitarian pause ended on Dec. 1, at least 1,200 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, the UN says.
The UN has delicately maneuvered language to avoid angering Israel and its allies while urging de-escalation in Gaza, where over 1,200 Palestinians have been killed since fighting resumed Dec 1st. Ceasefire terminology was initially avoided, while contested words blocked Security Council resolutions.
Experts note the common refrain of Israel's right to "defend itself" implicitly justifies civilian deaths. As conditions deteriorate, Guterres discarded typical caution by invoking Article 99 on threats to international security, pushing for urgent Council action.
Briefings contain euphemisms like "lives lost" rather than Palestinian children killed. A UNICEF statement was critiqued for not naming perpetrators, structured as if casualties were dispersed, not concentrated in Gaza. Analysts contend language often dehumanizes Palestinians while humanizing Israeli suffering.
The US demands condemnation of Hamas terrorism but shows little equivalency for mass Gazan civilian casualties. Other allies echo similar stances. Though noting Gaza's humanitarian crisis, UN members evade directly calling on Israel to stop killings.
The muted responses disregard vast Israeli military superiority, decades of occupation, and a pattern of Palestinian child casualties predating October attacks. In a complex crisis, language matters, and critics contend the current rhetoric fails to articulate urgent need to save Gazan lives.
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