UN “Peace Coordinator” Before And During Hamas Massacre

The United Nations appointed Tor Wennesland to be Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process in December 2020. This is the gold standard for a job title that has nothing to do with reality. A more accurate title has long been UN Coordinator of Palestinian Appeals.

Wennesland often minimized Israelis deaths and Palestinian terror, curiously thinking that such action helped the peace process. He expressed sadness at the death of Palestinian Arab terrorists and has never rebuked Palestinian leadership for recruiting and drafting children to be terrorists, a flagrant crime against humanity.

Wennesland posted two statements right before and immediately after the gruesome October 7 slaughter of over 1,000 Israelis. A comparison is illustrative.

After Israelis in the West Bank attacked the city of Huwwara where Palestinian Arabs have killed many Israelis, he condemned the “attack by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and their property,” adding that he was “outraged by the continued incitement, provocations and lack of accountability for these violent crimes.” With one Palestinian dead, Wennesland demanded that “Israel must ensure that the [Palestinian Arab] civilian population is protected, and the [Israeli] perpetrators are held to account.”

Some hours later, over 1,000 Palestinian Arabs invaded Israel and butchered over 1,000 Israelis in a grisly unprovoked attack. Wennesland’s short statement said so much and so little.

“I vehemently condemn this morning’s multi-front assault against Israeli towns and cities near the Gaza Strip, and barrage of rockets reaching across central Israel by Hamas militants.

“These events have resulted in horrific scenes of violence and many Israeli fatalities and injuries, with many believed to be kidnapped inside the Strip. These are heinous attacks targeting civilians and must stop immediately.

“I am deeply concerned for the well-being of all civilians. I am in close contact with all concerned to urge maximum restraint and call on all sides to protect civilians.

This is a dangerous precipice and I appeal to all to pull back from the brink.“

Matter	1 Palestinians killed in response to attack	1,000+ Israelis killed in unprovoked massacre
Condemnation	“condemn”	“vehemently condemn”
Attack	“Israeli settlers against Palestinians and their property”	“horrific scenes of violence… heinous attacks targeting civilians and must stop immediately”
Outrage	“continued incitement, provocations, and lack of accountability for these violent crimes“	N/A
Concern	“[Palestinian] civilians”	“all civilians”
Action urged	“hold perpetrators accountable“	“maximum restraint“

Comparing the two incidents is like comparing a parking ticket to a multi-vehicle crash, facts which were clearly known to Wennesland. Yet he could not call out the “continued incitement, provocations and lack of accountability” for Palestinian Arabs who butchered people. He voiced his concern about Palestinians when one Arab was killed but was suddenly concerned for “all civilians” when hundreds upon hundreds of Israelis were tortured.

Most tellingly, the United Nations Special Coordinator for Middle East Peace only called for Israelis to be held accountable, but urged Israel to show “maximum restraint” and not pursue an entire Palestinian terrorist infrastructure that launched a war.

The United Nations has never been concerned about Middle East Peace, only the formation of a Palestinian State – even at the very moment when Palestinian Arabs clearly demonstrated to the world that they most definitely do not deserve one.

ACTION ITEM

Write US Ambassador to United Nations “Demand all Israeli hostages be returned and members of Hamas hand themselves over to Israel for prosecution for their heinous attack on over 1,000 civilians.”