On March 25, the U.N. Security Council passed two binding resolutions that demanded a temporary cease-fire in Gaza by Israel and the release of hostages by Hamas.

Israel was neither truly angry nor surprised by the U.S. abstention vote, contrary to the article. Israel knew it would not be pressured by the U.S. to stop its bombing of Gaza.

While bound by international law, Israel openly stated it would not adhere to the resolution, and indeed it did not. This is a flagrant disregard for international law. President Biden and nearly all of Congress commented little about the resolution or Israel’s nonobservance of it, as though it didn’t happen.

Like Israel, the president and Congress are thumbing their noses at the U.N. and international norms, and the press has not sufficiently covered this acceptance of Israeli defiance. I don’t see how the U.S. government could ever get the U.N. to respond to any request they might put forth to the Security Council in the future after showing the world they are willing to support such disregard for legally binding U.N. resolutions whenever it suits them. U.S. government support for ignoring U.N. demands is a national security risk that endangers the safety of U.S. citizens.

Paul Cunningham
South Portland