In his comments yesterday to the International Court of Justice at The Hague, Russian Ambassador to the Netherlands Vladimir Tarabrin placed the blame squarely on the shoulders of the United States, accusing it of maintaining a “short-sighted and irresponsible” approach that has diluted political processes created to resolve the conflict between Israel and Palestine. The following excerpts of Tarabrin’s remarks, in his English original, are taken from the transcript produced by the ICJ:
“Russia, of all countries, understands the dangers of terrorism. … Let me use this opportunity to reiterate our heartfelt condolences to the Israelis who lost their loved ones in the attack on 7 October…. We have repeatedly condemned such acts. Let me also stress that Russia highly values the stable relations that we enjoy with Israel. We are united by shared history of combating Nazism, as well as by a myriad of present-day human ties.
“Having said this, we are convinced that the tragic events of 7 October cannot justify the collective punishment of more than 2 million Gazans. We cannot accept the logic of those officials in Israel and some Western countries who try to defend the indiscriminate violence against civilians by referring to Israel’s duty to protect its nationals. Violence can only lead to more violence. Hatred brings hatred. This vicious circle must be broken.
