Questions I would ask at the United Nations

If I were the Israeli Prime Minister addressing the United Nations, I would also point to the glaring hypocrisies of this body, which often resembles a farcical theatre. On the world stage, I would then pose six critical questions to Western leaders and media, demanding answers on matters of moral clarity and the failings of the West.

To the President of France, I would ask: Where were you, sir, when Hezbollah bombarded Israeli towns and villages for eleven months?  A relentless barrage of deadly missiles, rockets, drones, and projectiles began on October 8th, even as Israel fought terrorists committing unspeakable atrocities in the south. Where was your concern when 80,000 Israelis were displaced, their homes and businesses destroyed by Hezbollah’s attacks?

Mr. Macron, what have you done as Hezbollah, backed by Iran, systematically took control of Lebanon—its economy, its territory, and its people? How did you respond as Hezbollah prepared to attack Israel, using Lebanon as a staging ground to spread terror, rape, murder, and kidnapping? For years, you stood by while the people of Lebanon fell deeper into Hezbollah’s grip. Why, then, are you so alarmed now that Israel is finally doing what everyone in the region knows must be done?

Mr. Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations: What have you done to enforce UN Security Council Resolution 1701? When did you first become aware that Hezbollah was violating this resolution, and what actions did your organization take in response? Why has your voice been silent against the violent subjugation of Lebanon—a sovereign nation and UN member—by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC)? What steps have you taken to prevent Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel from Lebanese territory, and how is the organization you lead complicit in the war now upon us? Mr. Guterres, you carry in your pocket a symbolic reminder of the hostages being kept in cruel captivity. Yet, you host here in these halls the very same people who fund and support the terrorists that execute them? In doing so you encourage them and delay the release of hostages. By your action and inaction, in Lebanon and Gaza, you support terrorism.

Mr. Pierre Krähenbühl, Director-General of the International Committee of the Red Cross: How many times has your organization visited the hostages taken by Hamas since October 7, 2023? The answer is zero. Why? Is someone preventing you, and if so, who? Why has your organization remained silent on the kidnapping and treatment of the hostages? What is your response to the cold-blooded executions of hostages held by Hamas? If your organization cannot fulfill the most basic part of its mandate, what justification does it have to continue existing?

To Mr. Najib Mikati, Prime Minister of Lebanon: Are you truly the leader of a sovereign state? If so, why are you allowing Iran to install a terrorist army across your country? Why has your army not deployed in southern Lebanon? UN Resolution 1701 is clear, and Israel has no territorial claims against Lebanon. The boundary between our countries—the “Blue Line”—was ratified by the UN in May 2000. Why, then, do you allow Hezbollah to launch attacks across it? By permitting this, you have essentially declared war on Israel, casus belli, placing your nation’s future at risk.

Or are you, Mr. Mikati, a hostage of Hezbollah and Iran? If you cannot exercise your country’s sovereignty or deploy your army to defend its borders, why does Lebanon maintain representation in this assembly? The people of Lebanon deserve better than to live under the yoke of Hezbollah and the IRGC. When will they rise up against their true oppressors—the Iranian regime and its now weakened and humiliated Hezbollah militia?

Lastly, President Biden: You are right—no one wants war. It should always be a absolute last resort. As any first-year student of international relations can tell you, Clausewitz defined war as the continuation of policy by other means. Wars begin when the defender chooses to fight rather than submit to the aggressor. In Israel’s case submission means death. And that is the point. After almost a year of war waged against Israel from multiple fronts, we no longer have the option to avoid it. The Iranian axis is at war with us—not just with Israel, but with the West.

Iran is not alone in this endeavor. Russia, China, North Korea, Venezuela, and others seek to dismantle the global system shaped by the United States and Western civilization since the end of the Cold War. A new world order is emerging, and the West is facing the greatest challenge of our generation. Ignoring this will not make it disappear, and appeasement will only embolden our enemies. A paradigm shift is necessary. President Biden, Is stopping Israel from securing victory truly the right response to this challenge? Are you prepared for what comes next?

I may not be the Prime Minister of Israel, but I know this: Israel is fighting the first open battle in a clash of civilizations. The question is whether our children will grow up in a world of tyrants, despots, dictators, and jihadists, or in one that upholds the Judeo-Christian values of liberty, freedom, equality, and prosperity for all. The nations of the world must now choose sides.

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Uri Goldflam has just completed his fourth speaking tour in the US and Canada and will return for another tour in December 2024. For information and bookings, please contact directly.