The UN general assembly has voted overwhelmingly to back the Palestinian bid for full UN membership, in a move that signalled Israel’s growing isolation on the world stage amid global alarm over the war in Gaza and the extent of the humanitarian crisis in the strip. The move drew an immediate rebuke from Israel. Its envoy to the UN, Gilad Erdan, delivered a fiery denunciation of the resolution and its backers before the vote, and fed pages of the UN charter into a shredder. The Palestinian envoy, Riyad Mansour, highlighted that the vote was being held at a time when Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city that is the last haven for many people, faced attack from Israeli forces
The video is amazing. He was actually trying to show to the assembly “what they were doing” to the UN charter.
Instead he created a golden moment of cringe comedy where he is the one putting the charter into a tiny shredder, and declaring “you make me sick” like a petulent child with the diminutive machine’s whirring in the background.
Especially compared to the Palestinian speech he made himself look like a total clown.
Isn’t that the charter that…also acknowledges the statehood of Israel?
I remember an Israeli pundit once complained that the UN creating Israel was “the mortgage that never ends” because the Israeli government absolutely loves to demonize the UN but still depends on it.
I think of Karen videos when I see Israel. She is so sensitive and irrational, but yet the US keeps giving her what she wants and only turning her into a bigger Karen. When she doesn’t get her way she calls you antisemitic and says you hate Jews.
This CNN article has a lot more information and context including who voted against the measure (nine countries including the US and Israel), the practical effects of the measure (new rights for Palestine to sponsor and support resolutions but still no vote), and what can be expected in the near future (a vote in the UN security council on whether to actually admit Palestine which might pass but which the US will veto).
Wonder why Czechia voted against the bill. Did I miss anything?
I’m Czech. No matter the party, our government always had Israel bootlickers. T. G. Masaryk, founder of Czechoslovakia, was anti-antisemitic. We share a prevailing fake feeling of tininess and vulnerability (in 1938, the Allies signed the Munich treaty, sacrificing us to Nazi Germany, and in 1968 our “partner” USSR invaded us for straying from hard Communism) even though we have strong allies and a decent standing in our respective regions. Our support mainly consists of shilling for Israel in international politics and preserving our Jewish sites while they provide tech investment and recently COVID vaccines. I think the government did send some aid but the average Czech does not care about Israel, as opposed to Ukraine, which was heavily donated to (and a huge number of its its refugees were accepted) thanks to our bad experience with Russia and a significant, well-behaved Ukrainian minority.
Thanks for the explainer!
I would say this has less to do with Israel bootlicking and more with US bootlicking (sure, not much difference but it’s always worth to remind that all this is because USA in the first place), Czech international politics look like made in Washington on all issues, which is visible especially lately when Visehrad group split on the Ukraine issue.
Sounds plausible
Yup, we are trying really hard to stop being associated with the Soviet Union. Our Senate meets to celebrate Israel‘s birthday and promises to fulfill NATO obligations while Israel representatives order a radar system from a Czech company and promise to shout “Czechia is in Central Europe!” at anyone suggesting we’re in the East.
That’s kinda visible tbh. The time I was in Prague for two months in 2020 made me feel like “alright, alright, I know already about the bloody Soviets and how cool is Václav Havel, could you please stop”
From that perspective, it makes sense how it could turn to serve NATO.
I heard the UN awarded this Israeli envoy Erdan the UN’s Yellow Star of Cringe award. Just search for ‘UN Israel envoy yellow star’ to see the ceremony that occurred in Oct 2023.
Israel’s United Nations ambassador displayed a yellow star on his chest Monday as he addressed the Security Council, provocatively pledging to wear the badge until members of the body condemn Hamas “atrocities”.
Issued on: 31/10/2023 - 01:47Modified: 31/10/2023 - 09:23
2 min

His wearing of the badge, which has come to symbolise the oppression of Jews since its imposition in Nazi-occupied Europe, was swiftly criticised by Yad Vashem, Israel’s Holocaust memorial, which urged him to wear the Israeli flag instead.
I really want to see this as the UN finally mending its ways, but seeing how they got Saudi Arabia for women’s rights chair and got caught denying doing anything for refugees in Thailand because “it would anger China”… I can’t help but see it as them playing to someone’s interest in creating chaos.
I don’t know who that would, what I know is trusting the UN’s motives isn’t a good bet lately.
honestly, as good as this may be in the short term, they’ve really just added one more highly Conservative religious state that will vote against the interest of the common good moving forward.
I strongly support Palestine gaining statehood and for Israel to stop fucking with them (that extends far beyond the war), but that doesn’t mean i like their ideals. i think there’s a strong chance that this will cause problems moving forward and that conservatives will use that as ammunition.
that said, this is the un finally really kinda doing its job for once. ending global conflict through diplomacy. can’t say that’s a bad thing.
Just so you are aware, America is one of the most conservative members of the UN and constantly stop the UN from preventing or stopping genocides and other atrocities around the world.
Here’s the video of that moment. Warning: massive cringe
A fucking mini paper shredder? It isn’t even an emotional outburst but a preconceived demonstration? They actually planned out getting that little thing for him?
It was a premeditated tantrum! Oh, my sides.
Premeditated Tantrum would be an excellent punk rock band name.
Everything is a punk rock band name if you just try hard enough.
So what about Ukraine being a member too?
You might be thinking of NATO, of which Ukraine is not (yet) a member state.
