‘Stop this war now,’ Slovenian PM tells Israel’s Netanyahu

LONDON: Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob on Friday called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, telling his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu to “stop this war now.”

Golob was addressing the UN General Assembly in New York, with Slovenia having assumed the presidency of the UN Security Council on Sept. 1. 

During the speech, he left no room for doubt, thumping the lectern as he said: “I want to say this out loud and clear to the Israeli government: Stop the bloodshed, stop the suffering, bring the hostages home and end the occupation.”

He told the UNGA that the UNSC is finding itself unable to respond “in an effective way to major conflicts such as Gaza, Ukraine or Sudan,” adding that the council needs reform.

“In Gaza, almost four months since the council’s resolution on (a) ceasefire and hostage release, the deal is nowhere close,” Golob said.

“As the (UN) secretary-general (Antonio Guterres) said yesterday … people in Gaza are existing, not living, existing among lakes of sewage, piles of rubbish and mountains of rubble. The only certainty they have is that tomorrow is going to be worse.

“In the West Bank and East Jerusalem, violence and dehumanization of Palestinians is increasing and has reached a boiling point.

“All this is taking us further away from the two-state solution with Israelis and Palestinians living side-by-side in peace and security. 

“(The) escalation of (the) Gaza crisis into the region is now a reality. The region is (on) the brink of an abyss. De-escalation is urgently needed, starting with the ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon.”

Golob also highlighted the civil war in Sudan, saying: “We’re witnessing a man-made humanitarian catastrophe, with millions displaced and in desperate need of humanitarian aid. At the same time, we’re seeing (an) atrocity happening again in Darfur.”

He blamed the five permanent members of the UNSC for “misusing veto power and putting national interest first,” adding: “We urgently need a council that’s a true representation of the international community, a council that’s fit for the world of today.

“We need to ensure that the distribution of the seats is fair. The council needs stronger voices of the regions that have been underrepresented, such as (the) African continent.”

Golob added that the “erosion of respect for international humanitarian law” is making it harder for humanitarian work to be carried out.

“In Gaza, humanitarians aren’t just occasional collateral victims — they seem to have become a deliberate military target,” he said.

“There’s no other explanation for the highest number of humanitarian workers being killed last year, of whom the vast majority (were) in Gaza.

“The sense of impunity for crimes in Gaza is putting humanitarian organizations under stress elsewhere. This is undermining the very essence of the UN.”

Golob also addressed climate change and the measures being taken to halt its effects across the world, especially threats to water supplies, including the use of supercomputers and artificial intelligence.

“Unfortunately, people suffering from armed conflicts don’t have the luxury of high-tech solutions. More often than not, they’re denied basic access to clean drinking water,” he said.

“Even more, we’re increasingly seeing how access to water is becoming weaponized in Yemen, Somalia, Gaza and Sudan.”

Golob spoke about how children disproportionately suffer as a result of climate change and conflict, once again highlighting the dire situation of young people in Gaza.

“Slovenia is offering concrete help with the foundation Let Them Dream, which is dealing with the rehabilitation of children from Gaza,” he said.

“It’s an extremely noble and human project which was launched years ago and has already helped hundreds of children from Gaza who came for rehabilitation in Slovenia, and will continue to do so. Sadly, some of these kids are now already the victims of recent aggression on Gaza.”

Golob concluded his address by telling delegates about an experience earlier this week when he met two young “courageous” Palestinian girls at an event hosted by Save the Children.

“They spoke about their challenges in life. They spoke about their feelings. They spoke about their plans for the future. And despite all of the destruction, dehumanization and fear, there was no anger nor hate in their stories,” he said.

“They just had this enormous wish to live a normal, decent life. They just had this enormous wish to be able to educate and study in order to be able to contribute back to their community.

“One wants to become a doctor, the second wants to become a humanitarian worker. Today, I fulfill my promise to them, and I bring their story to the General Assembly.”