The United Nations is facing sharp criticism after scheduling a Security Council meeting on the Gaza war during Rosh Hashanah, one of the holiest Jewish holidays. The timing effectively prevents Israeli officials from participating while the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and its allies push for recognition of a Palestinian state. Sources confirmed the meeting was deliberately set on the holiday, despite multiple available dates later in the week.
The Security Council’s calendar lists a “Middle East” briefing for Tuesday afternoon, coinciding with the start of high-level debate at the U.N. General Assembly. Algeria and other OIC members reportedly pressured South Korea, the council’s current president, to lock in the controversial date. Critics say the move signals bias against Israel, with one former U.S. diplomat calling it “outright anti-Semitism.” The diplomat added, “When leaders go out of their way to exclude or single out one religious minority, that’s discrimination—and when it’s the Jewish faith that’s anti-Semitism.”
Meanwhile, several Western nations, including the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, announced joint recognition of a Palestinian state on Sunday. Israeli officials warn such actions undermine hostage negotiations. Jonathan Harounoff, spokesman for Israel’s U.N. mission, stated, “We’re seeing a lot of performative gestures and empty declarations that aren’t advancing peace—or anything in the region.”
Pro-Israel groups condemned the scheduling, arguing it deliberately silences Jewish voices. Sacha Roytman, CEO of the Combat Antisemitism Movement, declared, “By deliberately silencing Jewish voices at the very moment when decisions about Israel—the world’s only Jewish state—are being discussed, the U.N. is sending a chilling message: that Israel and the people it represents are unwelcome at the table.”
