The United Nations General Assembly, held last week in New York, exposed Israel’s growing isolation amid accusations of genocide against the Palestinian people and highlighted the institution’s limits in preventing mass killings. This is the assessment of political analyst Amanda Harumy, in an interview with Radio BdF.
“In this perspective of defending the Palestinian people and recognizing that what is happening is genocide, the positions taken by member states are very important, even those belonging to Nato and the G7, which maintain cooperation with Israel,” she said.
Harumy stressed, however, that diplomatic statements alone are not enough. “Pragmatically speaking, what impact will this have in actually stopping the genocide, in halting the massacre in Gaza? We cannot ensure that presidential speeches alone will carry weight. This is the inertia of the UN,” she argued.
Trump’s unilateral deal
The analyst also criticized the ceasefire proposal put forward by U.S. President Donald Trump. “These are proposals demanding that Hamas disarm and disappear, but they guarantee neither a Palestinian state nor an end to the conflict rooted in Israel’s policy of territorial occupation. It is almost a unilateral deal and, surprisingly, it was welcomed with near-unanimity worldwide,” she noted.
According to Harumy, Trump is using mediation as an electoral tool. “This pursuit of a Nobel Peace Prize is part of the character he builds: presenting himself as a savior, a transformer of world order,” she observed.
Lula’s international leadership
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s speech at the opening of the UN assembly was also a highlight. For Harumy, Lula projected himself as a global leader.
“It was a comprehensive address that covered many issues and positioned Brazil clearly before the world. At the same time, he named what is happening in Palestine as genocide. Lula is very popular. Today, presidents seek photos with him, meetings with him. He remains an international leader,” she commented.
She also underscored Lula’s remark on the “end of the West’s ethical superiority.” “If, in practice, we are once again witnessing genocide, it is because the United Nations has failed. The UN is obsolete in its methodology and in the way it is organized, because the world has changed,” Harumy concluded.
