Yitzhak ben Moshe, Editor/Reporter, New Mexico

This piece will contain the opinion of the author. His opinion will be presented in italics so that you may distinguish opinion from news.

Today, the United Nations Security Council voted to adopt a resolution that demands an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas militants. The adoption came after the United States abstained from voting.

Fourteen council members voted for the resolution, which was proposed by ten elected members, that also demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas.

“This resolution must be implemented. Failure would be unforgivable,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres posted on social media.

Prime Minister Netanyahu said that the failure of the United States to veto the resolution is a “clear retreat” from its long-standing prior position and would ultimately hurt Israel’s efforts in the war and their bid to have all hostages released.

“Our vote does not, and I repeat that does not represent a shift in our policy,” White House spokesperson John Kirby told reporters. “Nothing has changed about our policy. Nothing.”

In response to the United Nations vote, Netanyahu canceled a visit to Washington DC by a high-level delegation that planned to discuss the planned IDF operation in Rafah.

Many lawmakers in Washington DC have shied away from using the word “ceasefire” for the past six months. The US has additionally used its veto power to shield Israel as it has fought against Hamas.

The US ambassador said her delegation “fully supports” the critical objectives of the draft.

One official with the US Ambassador’s office to the United Nations, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that “Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield, by saying her delegation ‘fully supports’ the overall objectives of the draft is saying that the Biden administration is a step closer to the United States recognizing a Palestinian state.”

Gilad Erdan, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Israel, said it is a disgrace that the resolution does not condemn Hamas for their actions.

 “Civilians, no matter where they live, deserve to enjoy music in safety and security, and the Security Council should have the moral clarity to condemn such acts of terror equally, without discrimination,” he said.

“Sadly, today as well, this Council refused to condemn the 7 October massacre; this is a disgrace,” he added.

Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer for the observer State of Palestine, said it had taken six months, with more than 100,000 Palestinians killed and maimed, to demand an immediate ceasefire finally.

“Their ordeal must come to an end, and it must come to an immediate end now,” he told ambassadors.

Mr. Nebenzia, Russian Ambassador and Permanent Representative said that his country voted in favor of the resolution as it called for an immediate ceasefire, “even if it is limited to the month of Ramadan.”

“Unfortunately, what happens after that ends remains unclear since the word ‘lasting’ could be interpreted in various ways,” he said.

What follows is the opinion of the editor of the Jerusalem Press, Yitzhak ben Moshe.

I want to analyze today’s vote concerning the Russian ambassador and the observer State of Palestine.

It is unconscionable that Russia is calling for a ceasefire in the Israeli-Hamas war while not considering the many calls for a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.

Russia has been engaging in ongoing attacks in Ukraine, striking hospitals, civilian housing, and farms since the beginning of its invasion. These are the same actions Israel is accused of doing in Gaza. The difference is that Hamas hides among its civilian population, while Russia wants to target civilians.

Riyad Mansour, representing Palestine, has not gone on record saying more than 100,000 Palestinians have been killed and maimed.

Killed and maimed is a telling phrase. We are left to believe that those who support Hamas in the United States and other Western countries (I’m sorry, the pro-Palestinian supports) refuse to consider numbers put forth by Riyad Mansour or the questionable numbers offered by Hamas. Either way, the number of dead may be closer to 30,000, according to Hamas sources.

We are living in a time where the Palestinian people are protesting against Hamas, and left-leaning entitled children who have never been to Israel, Palestine, or further than their home states, claim that rape is resistance, that Gaza is an open-air prison, and those of us who live in Israel have no say in what the truth is.

G-d help us all.