Virulent Supporter of Genocide Elected President of UN General Assembly
It is most unfortunate that on June 2, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) voted in a secret ballot to elect former German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock president of its 80th session which starts on September 10, for a one-year term. German diplomat Helga Schmid had been nominated for the position of President of the UNGA in July 2024 but Germany withdrew her nomination in favour of Baerbock earlier this year. Baerbock received 167 votes with seven write-in votes for Helga Schmid. Fourteen countries abstained.
Baerbock is an ardent supporters of Israel's occupation and
genocide of the Palestinian people. She is a champion of Israel's
"right to self-defence," and, as Foreign Minister of Germany from
December 2021 until May 6 this year she was instrumental in
Germany's supplying Israel with German weapons and funds, second
only to the U.S.
In the German Parliament on October 14, 2024, one year into the
Israeli siege and genocide in Gaza, she justified Israel's
genocidal bombing of Gaza, saying, "[S]elf-defence means, of
course, not only attacking terrorists, but also destroying them.
This is why I have made it so clear that when Hamas terrorists
hide behind people, behind schools, then we end up in very
difficult waters. But we're not shying away from this. This is why
I made it clear at the United Nations that civilian sites could
lose their protected status if terrorists abuse this status.
That's what Germany stands for -- and that's what we mean when we
refer to Israel's security."
In response to these remarks justifying Israeli attacks on civilian sites, more than 300 academics co-signed a letter calling for a retraction and apology. An online petition calling for her resignation was signed by thousands of people.
Former UN human rights official Craig Mokhiber said on social media about Baerbock's election as President of the UNGA, "The United Nations was born in opposition to German war criminals. Today, it has elected a German war criminal to oversee its accelerating decline. Eighty years later, the Reich takes its revenge with Annalena Baerbock as UNGA President, in the midst of a genocide that she has enthusiastically abetted."
Normally, election to the Presidency of the UNGA is by acclamation but this year Russia insisted that it be by secret ballot given Baerbock's unacceptable positions. Russia's First Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Dmitry Polyansky, noted that "Baerbock has repeatedly proved her incompetence, extreme bias and lack of understanding of the basic principles of diplomacy." He added: "The decision of the authorities in Berlin to push through her candidacy... is no less than spitting in the face of the world organization and showing a blatant disregard for it."
Canada voted in favour of Baerbock, noting on a social media account for its mission to the UN: "Congratulations to Germany's Annalena Baerbock for her election to the position of President of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly! Canada looks forward to working with her during her term."
(With files from Deutsche Welle, TASS, X, Middle East Eye)
This article was published in
Volume 55 Number 12 - June 11, 2025
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2025/Articles/TS55127.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca