Hamas Still has not been Condemned by an the General Assembly

To this day, the U.N.'s top bodies, the General Assembly and the Security Council, have not issued formal condemnations of Hamas for the Oct. 7 attack on Israel, nor, I believe, for the savage practice of using civilians as human shields while hiding in the catacombs underneath such places as hospitals and even the U.N. offices, themselves.

Hamas has purportedly killed, raped, mutilated and tortured Israeli babies, children, women and elderly. Purportedly, allegedly and supposedly -- but also very probably: pictures exist of some of the atrocities.

But do not be too sweeping in your condemnation of the U.N. for its failure to condemn Hamas. At least two leading officers have clearly condemned Hamas. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned Hamas for unleashing "relentless death and destruction" on Gaza. The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, likewise, has condemned "the horrifying mass killings by members of Palestinian armed groups." He specifically noted the abduction of hostages is a violation of international law. 

While we should be grateful for the individual condemnations by Guterres and Volker, pressure should continue to be exerted on the General Assembly and the Security Council. The Hamas attack has unleashed on the world a most-serious wave of violence and hatred. The urgency for condemnation from the U.N. is increasing as protests one-sidedly condemn Israel while not holding Hamas accountable. Voices like those of the U.N. should reach out to the protestors, giving them cause to consider that they should not want to give the impression they are endorsing the actions of Hamas or Palestinian militants.

When Hamas and the Palestinians try to hide behind history, suggesting Israel's crimes prompted them to attack, we should not take the bait. We should not fall for such an excuse. Hatred will never end if it is justified. There will be no end if we do not say, Regardless of the past, it must end now. You cannot excuse your current atrocities by pointing to the past. We must not fall for such a ruse.