October 24, 2023 — New York
American Jewish Committee, the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people, issued this statement following remarks from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who said the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists "did not happen in a vacuum."
Secretary-General Guterres’ suggestion that Hamas’ horrific attacks on Israeli civilians should be seen in some broader context is deeply problematic. We note his unequivocal condemnation of the attacks and his insistence that “the grievances of the Palestinian people cannot justify the appalling attacks by Hamas” —but were shocked by his long and out-of-context recitation of those grievances as if they somehow do. The world needs the Secretary-General of the United Nations to exhibit moral clarity in the face of such appalling evil.
