A group of left-wing rabbis demanding a cease fire in Gaza took over the United Nations Security Council chamber in an unprecedented demonstration on Tuesday.
Anne Bayefsky, director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust, expressed strong condemnation, stating, “It is an unprecedented defilement of the U.N.’s most sacred chamber and a stunning exposure of the U.N. reality of mob rule.” Bayefsky criticized the fact that the U.N. Security Council has not condemned Hamas for their actions on October 7th, while a group advocating for the disarmament of Israelis and challenging their right to self-defense gained U.N. approval.
She emphasized the disparity in the treatment of these situations and questioned the U.N.’s approach to such matters. In an unusual turn of events, about three dozen rabbis and rabbinical students gained access to the U.N. Security Council chamber by signing up for a tour of the U.N. headquarters
Inside the U.N. Security Council chamber, the group of rabbis and rabbinical students unfolded concealed banners, voicing their demands for the U.S. to stop vetoing measures aimed at concluding Israeli operations in the Gaza Strip. The banners displayed messages such as “Biden: the world says cease-fire” and “Biden: Stop vetoing peace.” a cease fire
A press release from Rabbis 4 Ceasefire, Jews For Racial & Economic Justice (JFREJ), Jewish Voice for Peace, and IfNotNow, outlined their objectives. It urged the United States and all U.N. members to reaffirm commitments to the U.N. Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, take action to halt the violence against Palestinians in Gaza, hold another Security Council vote for a ceasefire resolution encompassing lifting the siege and a hostage exchange, and bring a resolution to the General Assembly for accountability measures in line with international law, including an immediate arms embargo.
While the U.N. has called for an immediate cease-fire, the U.S. and some allies have rejected resolutions, citing concerns about language and the absence of what the U.S. considers a “durable” solution to the conflict.