Yesterday, all 15 member nations of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) gathered at the UN Headquarters in New York, to discuss rising tensions in the Middle East. Or so was thought as discussions quickly swerved into campaigns and debate for (and against) Palestinian statehood recognition and member status application.

Riding on the wave of global sympathy following retaliation to its October 7th terrorist crime, the Hamas-controlled Palestinian region seeks to expedite approval of its membership status at the UN, urging the body to formally and irreversibly recognize it as a state.

Lofty dreams. Except Palestine has no recognized political border, no formal government, has never held a democratic election in 18 years, is practically controlled by the Hamas terrorist group with the support of over 90% Palestinian population, and remains incapable of making true peace or entering into any meaningful international relations with other sovereign states like Israel. Every of these realities clearly violates the preconditions for the recognition of a state as enshrined in the 1933 Montevideo convention. Does the UN seek to make history by legalizing a terrorist nation fronting faux legitimacy?

In his speech, UN Secretary, Antonio Guterres repeated calls *without action* for Hamas to release all hostages. Hamas still holds over 140 hostages, 30 of whom are feared dead. On the contrary, the Secretary commended Israel for heeding the calls to allow humanitarian aid passage and border crossing. In his words, “bakeries are now opening in the region.”

Guterres offered another actionless condemnation of Iran’s missile drone attack on Israel last Saturday. No consequences were pronounced thereof, rather a grand invitation of its top terror commander to lecture the council.

Palestine and Algeria took turns to lecture the house on the urgency of a Palestinian statehood despite meeting none of the criteria for statehood attainment. Russia took jabs at the US for supporting Israel, while Israel lambasted the council for its reputation demeaning politically motivated affinity to Hamas as recently evidence in its consideration of a statehood for Palestine. Israel believes this sends a global signal that terror pays. The UK also stood against Hamas and Iran, but joined other member states in a request for Israel to end its Rafah mission.

Yesterday’s meeting would mark the fourth time the council has converged to discuss Gaza, Hamas and Israel, while other bigger humanitarian crises in Sudan, Syria, and Somalia receive almost no attention. This paradox lends credence to the observation by Israel that the UN is fast losing its credibility as it continues to lean towards terrorist and terror-loving nations like Russia, China, Iran, Palestine and other Islamic gulf nations.