On Tuesday, President Joe Biden delivered his final speech to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) as president. The president’s remarks seemed to ignore the ongoing crises in Ukraine and the Middle East, as he said, “Even from the horrors of war, there’s a way forward.” And added, “Things can get better. We should never forget that.”
Biden addressed leaders and representatives from 134 countries around the globe. During his speech, the US president said that when he was elected as a US senator in 1972 (over 50 years ago) that the world was at “an inflection point” and a “moment of tension and uncertainty.”
The irony of what is likely to be Biden’s final political speech is marked by the fact that for years, the US has worked to support coups and subvert democracy in dozens of countries across the world. And under Biden’s direction, the US has shown unrelenting support for Israel even while undermining the influence of the UN as well as the authority of international law, and recently dismissed a vote by the UN Security Council that called on the country to end its campaign in Gaza.
The US also led a group of Western countries in defunding the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) which is a crucial source of aid for refugees facing humanitarian crises, Sputnik reported.
During the 79th session of UNGA, Biden addressed many foreign policy topics including an attempt to get the globe to rally behind support for Ukraine. Biden also said that he believes a ceasefire and hostage negotiation agreement is still possible between Hamas and Israel, even as the ceasefire proposals have fallen through several times.
Biden himself said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu isn’t doing enough to secure a ceasefire deal. And in fact, Israel has ratcheted up their violence in the Middle East and is reportedly conducting terrorist-like acts in their assault on Lebanon.
On Monday, the IDF launched missiles into southern Lebanon killing nearly 500 people. This followed a suspicious string of attacks on Hezbollah members’ communication devices which injured thousands and left dozens of people dead.
"Since Oct. 7, we've also been determined to prevent a wider war that engulfs the entire region," the president said. "Hezbollah, unprovoked, joined the Oct. 7 attack launching rockets into Israel. Almost a year later, too many on each side of the Israeli Lebanon border remain displaced. Full scale war is not in anyone's interest."