Israeli journalist Gideon Levy described the United Nations' decision to include Israel on its blacklist for killing thousands of Palestinian children in Gaza as a "just decision." He expressed shock that mourning for Palestinian children has become "forbidden" in Israel, where "compassion is illegal." In an article titled "Israel has killed about 15,000 children... What is strange about it entering the blacklist?" published in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Levy stated that UN Secretary-General António Guterres' decision to add Israel to the list of countries that harm children insulted Israel by placing it alongside Myanmar, Somalia, and Boko Haram.
He noted, "In Israel, everyone attacked the decision (the UN decision), and no one asked themselves what we thought when the army killed thousands of children (Palestinians). Did we think the world would remain silent? Would the UN practice restraint? Its mission is to scream, and that’s what it did over the weekend." He explained that "when it comes to mass killing of children, all justifications end, even Israel's justifications."
Gideon Levy (71) added, "Israeli UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan can continue his ugly tricks at the UN. Yesterday, he published a video recording of his conversation with the UN Secretary-General, an unprecedented act according to the diplomatic code of conduct, which solely targets the Likud party before his upcoming position."
Levy condemned Benjamin Netanyahu's claim that "the UN has placed itself on the blacklist of history," questioning, "The UN? How many children has the UN killed? According to the Gaza Health Ministry, the Israeli army has killed 15,517 children."
In discussing the tragedy of Gaza's children, Levy cited statistics highlighting the crimes committed by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip, noting, "Many (children) are still missing, and there are 17,000 children who have lost at least one parent. At least 3,000 children have lost at least one leg (in January, the international organization 'Save the Children' reported that ten children lose at least one limb every day)."
He continued, "9 out of every 10 children in Gaza suffer from severe malnutrition, according to UNICEF data. The World Health Organization reported that 4 out of every 5 children have not eaten anything at least one day out of every three days."
Gideon Levy, who served as a spokesperson for Shimon Peres from 1978 to 1982 when he was the leader of the Israeli opposition, remarked that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's repeated assertion that the Israeli army is the "most moral army in the world" has begun to evoke "embarrassed laughter among his listeners worldwide."
Finally, the author describes the UN's decision to place the Israeli army on the blacklist of child killers as "just and deserving of recognition."
