Editorial: Russia’s two-face on terror: Coddling Hamas while being attacked by ISIS
A few hours after Russia vetoed a carefully crafted and comprehensive resolution at the UN Security Council table in New York for an “immediate and sustained ceasefire” in Gaza because the Kremlin didn’t want to embarrass their friends in Hamas, the nihilist soulmates of Hamas, ISIS, launched a horrendous terrorist attack in Moscow, murdering dozens of concertgoers. The world mourns for Moscow.
Savage, bloody terror, whether coming from Hamas on Oct. 7 in their rampage of murder, rape and kidnapping against Israelis, which precipitated the Gaza war, or from ISIS, is the same. The civilized world must unite against such barbaric crimes. Yet, that Russia supports one kind of terror based on who the victims are, Israelis, only weakens their fight against the terror of ISIS.
ISIS must be eliminated. So must Hamas, which will free the Palestinians living under their tyranny.
Two weeks ago, Russia’s Federal Security Service thwarted an ISIS plot to assault a synagogue in Moscow. We know now that when that atrocity didn’t occur, ISIS looked and found another target in the Russian capital.
But Friday morning in New York, Russia (and their buddy China) used their veto to stop a resolution that achieved what everyone on all sides have been calling for, having been painstakingly negotiated by U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield in consultation with all parties.
The now-defeated measure called for the immediate end to Israel’s armed pursuit against Hamas, which has caused great suffering among Palestinian civilians, killing thousands of noncombatants. It also called for the release of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas. But Russia killed it.
It stressed “grave concern for the safety and well-being of the civilian population of Gaza, including the more than 1.5 million civilians now taking refuge in Rafah” and warned that “a ground offensive into Rafah would result in further harm to civilians and their further displacement.” But Russia killed it.
It deplored the civilians killed and injured, the damage to civilian infrastructure and urged the protection of medical facilities and the urgent need for large scale humanitarian aid and food to be coming in. The resolution decried the suffering and hunger and pointed to the risk of famine and epidemics. But Russia killed it.
It called for no changes in Jerusalem’s holy sites and an insistence that Gaza must be part of a future Palestinian state along with the West Bank. It also said that there must be no forced displacement of Gaza’s civilian Palestinian population and no new buffer zones (as some speculate that Israel might seek). But Russia killed it.
There was also a proper condemnation of Israeli government ministers who’ve called for population or territorial changes in Gaza. But Russia killed it.
Thomas-Greenfield said that Russia used its veto because the resolution was offered by the Americans and that it also called out Hamas by name.
Yes, it did condemn the murderers, rapists and kidnappers of Hamas, without whom there would be peace in Gaza, no war, no deaths, no destruction and no hostages.
Russia refused everything that the resolution promised, including a ceasefire, freedom for the hostages and relief for the suffering Palestinians of Gaza all to shield Hamas and deny credit to Washington.
Moscow let terror win and then Moscow was struck by terror.
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