Israel at UN in moment of 'moral clarity' against 'forces of evil and barbarism' [with video]

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen delivered a fiery address to the UN Security Council on Tuesday, warning that “the West is next” in Hamas’ crosshairs.

“If all nations do not stand by the basic value of humanity described in the UN Charter, this will be the darkest hour of the United Nations as this place will have no moral justification to exist,” Cohen said.

Here is a video and transcript of Cohen’s remarks.

As we meet here today, young babies, children, are held in Gaza. This is beyond imagination, a living nightmare.

• Ofri, 10 years old
• Avigail, 3 years old
• Maya, 17 years old
• Raz, 4 years old
• Aviv, 2 years old
• Ariel, 4 years old
• Kfir, little Kfir, only 9 months.
• Yuval, 8 years old
• Ofer, 17 years old

These are just a few. A few of the many children and babies that have not seen evil, they have not caused evil, but they are victims of evil. These kids witnessed horror which cannot be described by words.

• • •

Do I want to remember the creation of hell? The shouts of the raiders, enjoying the hunt. Cries of the wounded, begging for life. Faces of mothers, carved with pain, hiding children dripping with fear. No, I don’t want to remember, but how can I forget? Do I want to remember this world upside down? Families vanished in the midst of the day. The mass grave steaming with vapor of blood. Mothers searching for children in vain. No. I have to remember and never let you forget.

This heart burning poem was written by Alexander Kimel, a Holocaust survivor, in 1942. Five years later, the United Nations General Assembly voted in favor of the creation of a Jewish State.

The birth of the State of Israel, 75 years ago, was a clear statement: Never Again!

• • •

Saturday, Oct. 7, will go down in history as nothing less than a brutal massacre. Saturday, Oct. 7, is a wakeup call for the entire free world. A wakeup call against extremism, religious fanaticism and terror.

On that day, over 1,500 terrorists of Hamas and Islamic Jihad infiltrated Israel from the South with viciousness exceeding even ISIS, killing over 1,400 babies, children, women and men, and wounded over 4,000.

They went from house to house, slaughtering entire families and individuals in their beds, on the streets, on their way to the synagogue; raping women, burned them alive, dancing and chanting on people's bodies. You have not been there, you haven’t seen the horror, or smell it.

Let us pause for a moment, think about many innocent people who just woke up on Saturday morning, so many of them are not yet brought to a final burial. And let's recite the immortal words of the Jewish prayer for the dead, the Kaddish—

יתגדל ויתקדש שמי רבא

This massacre will go down in history as more brutal than ISIS. Hamas are new Nazis. Hamas are the new Nazis. Just as the civilized world united to defeat the Nazis, just as the civilized world united to defeat ISIS, the civilized world has to stand united behind Israel to defeat Hamas.

Let us not be mistaken about Hamas’ intentions — its charter clearly calls for the destruction and elimination of the State of Israel. This will never be.

• • •

Over 220 were taken hostage. Among the hostages — children who had seen their parents murdered, Holocaust survivors, elderly in need for care and medicine. We call for immediate Red Cross access to all the hostages and their unconditional release.

Present in this room is Moran Aloni. Seven members of his family were taken hostage. Moran's sisters Sharon Aloni Konio and Daniel Aloni were kidnapped with Sharon's husband David and their three years old twins, Emma and Yuli — three-year-old twins, right now while we are sitting here they are all by Hamas — alongside Daniel's five year old daughter Emilia.

Early Saturday, on the 7th of October, Sharon wrote on her family group chat that there are Hamas terrorists in their home and that they are hiding in the safe room. A few minutes later she wrote that the terrorists set the house on fire and they are chocking in the safe room. A few minutes later, Moran received a private message from his sister, "we are dying, help us.”

The family received information that Sharon, Daniel, Emma, Yuli, Emilia, David and Ariel, David's brother, are held captive by Hamas terrorists in Gaza.

Here with us is another family.

Hersh Goldberg Polin, a young man aged 23, one of the beautiful and innocent participants in the music festival. Hersh is seriously injured.

On this phone, the last two text messages he managed to send to his parents before he was kidnapped to Gaza: “I love you,” “I’m sorry.”

Qatar which finances and harbors Hamas leaders could influence and enable the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by the terrorists. You, members of the international community, should demand Qatar to do just that.

This meeting should conclude with a clear message: Bring them home! Bring them home!

• • •

I would like to listen to this recording [plays recording of terrorist speaking with great excitement in Arabic].

This is a terrorist of Hamas. He’s telling his mother and father that he’s proud that he has blood of ten Jews that he murdered. What monster they gave birth to, the many lives he has taken, bragging more than ten. Their blood, he describes, is on his hands. You hear and you can’t believe.

[At this point, and elsewhere, Cohen briefly departs from his speech to reference remarks made earlier in the day by UN Secretary-General António Guterres. Guterres appeared to justify Hamas’ murder rampage, stating that “the Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation. … Their hopes for a political solution to their plight have been vanishing.”]

Mr. Secretary-General, in what world do you live? Definitely, this is not our world. …

Secretary General, this is the world that we live in. We give Palestinian Gaza till the last millimeter [Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005]. There is no dispute in regard to the length of Gaza. But they take the money they receive from the world and instead of building a hospital, an office building, a commercial center, they took the money to dig tunnels, to build a rocket factory, not for the favor of the people.

Those lowlifes were not speaking on behalf of Islam, about human values, or the fight for freedom. They were speaking on behalf of cruelty, malice and hate. And you should all ask yourselves, ladies and gentlemen, who do we face.

We, Israel, we don’t only have the right to defend ourselves, we have the duty to do so.

The West is next! The war which was imposed on us is not only Israel's war. It is the war of the free world.

I hear the calls for proportionality. I hear the calls for a ceasefire. Tell me — what is a proportionate response for the killing of babies?

For the rape of women and burn them?

For the beheading of a child?

How can you agree to a ceasefire with someone who swore to kill and destroy your own existence? How?

The proportional response to the Oct. 7 massacre is a total destruction to the last one of Hamas. It is not only Israel’s right to destroy Hamas, it’s our duty. For Israel, it’s a matter of survival.

The free world should remember and never forget what happened on Oct. 7.

Today, this barbaric terror hit Israel, tomorrow it will be at everyone’s doorstep. These terrorists don’t have only Israel’s destruction in mind. Their dream is the world. Read about — exactly like the Nazis, they say it.

• • •

This war was imposed on us. We have not chosen this war but have no doubt we are going to win it. Because this war is for life. This war must be your war as well.

As Iran’s proxy, Hamas had three objectives to its barbarous attack: The murder of Jews. The kidnapping of hostages. And derailing the expansion of peace, stability and normalization in our region.

United in will and purpose like never before, Israel must now act in an unprecedented way to ensure that Hamas objectives will never be met.

Today is the 18th day since the beginning of this war. Through the last 18 days, our citizens were under heavy missile and rocket fire from Gaza, and not only from Gaza. There is a clear attempt to escalate and provoke a war on our northern Border, where Iran's proxy Hezbollah is targeting our cities.

The objective of Hamas, its patron and collaborators is clear.

They will not succeed.

• • •

Not only from neighboring countries Israel is facing a threat. Last week, cruise missiles were launched at Israel from Yemen. Have no illusion who is behind it and what is the reason.

I stand in front of you saying loud and clear, this war will be won. And for the international community to understand who is under threat and who is the aggressor.

Mr. President, Colleagues, Permanent Representatives,

The world now is facing a clear choice of moral clarity. One can be either part of the civilized world or surrender to the forces of evil and barbarism, Hamas savages and their friends. There is no middle ground, no room for moral ambiguity.

I want to thank all the governments who already designated Hamas as a terror organization and call others to do it immediately.

I want to thank the United States, President Biden, and Secretary Blinken, for showing such moral clarity, for standing with Israel in word and deed, at this dark hour.

I also wish to thank the many other leaders from across the world who have come to stand with Israel at this difficult time.

The United Nation Charter, which you all signed, begins with these words:

“We the peoples of the United Nations, determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind.”

Today, after the most vicious and brutal terror attack in modern history, if all nations do not stand decisively and clearly by the innocent orphans left alone in the world, by the kids that were slaughtered while dancing at sunrise, by the Holocaust survivors murdered or kidnapped, by Israel on our mission to eliminate the monsters from the face of the earth, if all nations do not stand by the basic value of humanity described in the UN Charter, this will be the darkest hour of the United Nations as this place will have no moral justification to exist.

At this difficult time for the people of Israel, we say loudly — we are strong, we will rebuild, we are determined and resolute to achieve our dream, to be a free nation in our land, the land of Zion and Jerusalem.

It is unimaginable, that in the face of such brutal atrocities, the Palestinian Authority has not issued even a hint of condemnation. Today I say clearly to the Palestinian Authority. Denounce violence, denounce the terrorists, end the incitement, end the hateful education, and a stop the financing of terrorists.

See also: UN chief suggests Jews had it coming; furious Israel fires back