From Holocaust Memory to Gaza Siege: Russia Slams Israel’s ‘Dangerous Amnesia’ at UN
Israel’s decision to seize Gaza City is not only a breach of international law but a betrayal of the very lessons of the Holocaust, Russia’s deputy envoy to the United Nations, Dmitry Polyansky, told an emergency Security Council meeting on Sunday.
The sharp rebuke came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet approved a military takeover of the city as part of its plan to “conclude the war” with Hamas. The move — criticized by much of the world, though notably not by Washington — has triggered fierce protests at home and fresh warnings of a humanitarian disaster.
Polyansky accused Israel of ignoring global appeals, defying the pleas of hostage families, and embracing an “occupation regime” that will deepen Gaza’s suffering and kill any remaining hope for a two-state solution.
“We firmly condemn the Netanyahu government’s intention to seize Gaza,” he said, adding that Israeli leaders had chosen military escalation over diplomacy — even as 50 hostages remain unaccounted for, only about 20 of whom are believed to be alive.
The Russian diplomat singled out Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar for hypocrisy, accusing him of shedding “crocodile tears” for the captives while knowingly backing an operation that could seal their fate.
In one of his most charged remarks, Polyansky drew a direct link to history: “How can a people who endured the Holocaust now place Palestinians in ghettos and seek their complete destruction?” It was, he argued, a grim example of how quickly the lessons of the past can be discarded.
The Israeli cabinet’s approved objectives include disarming Hamas, freeing all hostages, and demilitarizing Gaza. Netanyahu has said the territory would later be turned over to unnamed “Arab forces” for governance — a plan critics say is vague at best, and at worst a blueprint for permanent instability.
The decision defied warnings from Israel’s own military that such an operation could not only endanger hostages but also plunge Gaza’s already dire humanitarian crisis into catastrophe. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s military campaign since Hamas’ October 2023 attack, which left roughly 1,200 Israelis dead and 251 abducted.
Global condemnation has been swift — from Europe to the Global South — but absent from the chorus is the United States, Israel’s staunchest ally. Meanwhile, the streets of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem have seen some of the largest anti-war demonstrations since the conflict began, as Israelis themselves question whether this strategy will bring peace, or simply write the next chapter of war.
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