79th UN General Assembly highlights Israeli aggression, calls for reform

By Serife Cetin

The 79th UN General Assembly, which brought together leaders and representatives from 193 UN member states in New York for one week, was marked by Israel's attacks on Gaza and Lebanon and calls for reform of international organizations.

The major diplomatic event, held from Sept. 24 until Sept. 30, welcomed 76 heads of state, four princes, two heads of government, 42 deputy prime ministers, nine ministers, 54 deputy ministers and the European Union delegation, according to information gathered by Anadolu.

During the opening session on the first day, Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivered his speech, following US President Joe Biden.

With great attention focused on the General Assembly, Erdogan called on the international community to take action regarding the Gaza crisis.

He pointed out that as a result of Israel's attacks, Gaza has become the world’s largest cemetery for women and children, saying the situation in the enclave particularly highlights the UN's failure to fulfill its duties.

"We observe with regret that in recent years, the United Nations is struggling to fulfill its founding mission and is gradually turning into a dysfunctional, unwieldy and inert structure," Erdogan said.

He recalled his slogan “the world is bigger than five,” referring to the UN Security Council’s unrepresentative membership.

From his address to the international community, Erdogan's following remarks garnered great attention and were widely covered in international media.

"I am asking you frankly from here...Human rights organizations! Are the ones in Gaza, the ones in the West Bank not human beings? The children in Palestine, do they not have the right to study, live, and play in the streets?”

“International media organizations! The journalists that Israel massacred on live television, whose offices were raided, are they not your colleagues? The United Nations Security Council! What are you waiting for to prevent the genocide in Gaza and to say ‘stop’ to this cruelty, this barbarism?"

"What more are you waiting for to stop the massacre network that endangers also the lives of its own citizens along with the Palestinian people and drags the entire region into war for the sake of its political prospects?"

Those who unconditionally support Israel! For how long will you continue to bear the shame of looking on this massacre, of being its accomplices?"

- UN chief warns about Lebanon ‘becoming another Gaza’

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, without explicitly naming countries, said in his speech that "the level of impunity in the world is politically indefensible and morally intolerable."

Noting that an increasing number of governments believe they can use a “get out of jail free card," Guterres criticized them for violating international law, the UN Charter and international courts.

"Without reform, fragmentation is inevitable, and global institutions will become less legitimate, less credible, and less effective," he warned.

Guterres likened the situation in Gaza to a “non-stop nightmare” and stressed that "the people of the world cannot afford Lebanon to become another Gaza."

- World leaders demand Israel to ‘stop’

Israel’s targeting of Lebanon following its massacre in Gaza became a central topic for world leaders at the UN General Assembly.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said that "we will not sit silent and watch as apartheid is perpetrated against others," while Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva emphasized the need to end the violence in the Gaza Strip, the occupied West Bank and Lebanon.

Jordan’s King Abdullah II said "the attacks of Oct. 7 on Israeli civilians last year were condemned by countries all over the world, including Jordan, but the unprecedented scale of terror unleashed on Gaza since that day is beyond any justification. This Israeli government has killed more children, more journalists, more aid workers and more medical personnel than any other war in recent memory."

He added that the world and history would judge its leaders.

Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani called for an end to the attacks on Gaza and Lebanon, accusing Israel of committing genocide.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said, "Stop this crime, stop it now. Stop killing children and women. Stop the genocide. Stop sending weapons to Israel. This madness cannot continue."

Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob banged on the General Assembly podium, calling on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for an immediate end to the "bloodshed and suffering."

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also pounded his fist on the table and condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza and Lebanon, describing them as a "systematic slaughter of innocent people."

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called on Israel to "stop the violence. Step back from the brink," while French President Emmanuel Macron said the war on Gaza "has gone on too long," urging Israel to also "cease escalation in Lebanon."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called on Israel to abandon "essentially terrorist methods of settling political scores," while Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for "restraint."

- Netanyahu faces international backlash at UN

Netanyahu, who received standing ovations in the US Congress in July, faced protests at the UN General Assembly, which represents the international community.

Many delegations, including Türkiye’s, walked out of the hall in protest during his speech.

He addressed a nearly empty hall, with applause coming primarily from the gallery reserved for guests, filled with Israel’s delegation and their invitees.

- Call for Security Council reform

Ahead of the General Assembly, the "Summit of the Future" focused on the topic of reform, with member states signing the "Pact for the Future" demanding change.

The UN Security Council's inability to stop Israel’s massacre in Gaza over the past year, particularly due to US vetoes, has heightened the call for reforms and became the key topic during the General Assembly discussions.

Leaders argued that the UN and other international organizations, founded based on post-World War II dynamics, are neither inclusive nor representative, pushing for reforms to address contemporary challenges.

Referring to the UN Security Council, Brazilian President Lula da Silva said "its procedures lack transparency and decisions lack coherence. Millions of people suffer the consequences of this inefficiency," while Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said “a reform makes sense if performed for everyone and not just for some."

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi echoed the need for reform in global institutions like the UN.

Jordan’s King Abdullah said that "our United Nations is facing a crisis that strikes at its very legitimacy and threatens a collapse of global trust and moral authority.”

- Host Biden delivers farewell speech

US President Biden, who has recently made headlines with frequent gaffes, also delivered a highly anticipated speech.

Sticking to his script during his General Assembly address, later at another event in New York, he welcomed world leaders by saying: "Welcome to Washington."

Saying the conflict in Gaza needed to be resolved, Biden also addressed the situation in Sudan and Ukraine.

His speech, however, was noted for its lack of strong messages, turning into more of a “reflection” and "farewell" address.

*Writing by Merve Aydogan