ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on Friday, a tense moment unfolded outside the UN headquarters between pro-Palestine and pro-Israel protesters.
The largest pro-Palestine protest in weeks was being held as Netanyahu was taking the podium.
One protester told Rudaw English she joined the pro-Palestine protests because “it sounded like a good cause.” Describing the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip as “a genocide,” she said, “It's too late in the game to not be speaking out now.”
Another protester, of Colombian descent, said, “Even if we can't always make it to protests, we can still boycott. I’m here to represent my Colombian people.”
Among the pro-Palestine demonstrators was a group of Orthodox Jews. One of them said that what Israel is doing “does not represent the Jews,” adding, “Judaism is a religion, they are political.”
On the other side, pro-Israel protesters were also demonstrating.
One participant told Rudaw English, “They [pro-Palestine demonstrators] don't even know what they're talking about. They don't like Americans.” She added, “I am here to support my fellow Jews and Netanyahu. I'm here to support my fellow Jews.”
Central to this year’s UNGA agenda was a high-level meeting held Monday - sponsored by France and Saudi Arabia - which aimed to “revive the long-stalled two-state solution: one Israeli, one Palestinian, coexisting within secure and recognized borders,” according to a statement on the UN’s official website.
The two-state solution is an internationally-recognized framework for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
It envisions the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem with the borders largely based on the armistice lines that existed before the 1967 Six-Day War. The plan calls for both states to recognize each other's right to exist, establish security arrangements and negotiate a solution for Palestinian refugees.
In addition to efforts to advance a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Monday’s summit will also seek to establish a ceasefire to the ongoing war in Gaza and facilitate the release of Israeli hostages held by the Palestinian movement Hamas since October 7, 2023.
On that day, Hamas launched a surprise incursion into southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking approximately 251 hostages into Gaza, according to Israeli figures.
While a ceasefire was reached in mid-January, Israel resumed its military operations in late March, citing the objective of rescuing the remaining 48 hostages believed to still be held in Gaza.
Earlier this week, the Gaza health ministry reported that the Palestinian death toll from the Israeli military operations has crossed 65,000 - including some 20,000 children.
Namo Abdulla contributed to this report.
