Margaret Besheer: Voice of America UN correspondent ahead of Benjamin Netanyahu's appearance at the UN General Assembly

A frosty reception is expected for Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, as he fronts global diplomats - as war wages in the Middle East.

Leaders from nearly 200 UN Member states are meeting to discuss international issues in New York City.

Calls for intervention are growing - as Israel pounds southern Lebanon with bombs, and its' deadly occupation of Gaza continues.

Voice of America UN correspondent, Margaret Besheer, says many members are calling Israel's actions genocide.

"The speeches were very strong against Israel - and not just from the neighbours, but from other countries in the global south."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Fine either do for Sea Ellen.

Speaker 2 (00:02):
The situation in the Middle East was sent to stage
at the UN General Assembly. Today, world leaders have come
to New York to discuss the escalating conflicts in Lebanon
and Gaza.

Speaker 3 (00:10):
We should all be alarmed by the escalation. Lebanon is
at the brink. The people of Lebanon, the people of Israel,
and the people of the world cannot afford Lebanon to
become another Gaza.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
Margaret Basha is a Voice of America's UN correspondent. Hey, Margaret,
Hi there, Heather, good to talk to you again. Listen.
Tell me what kind of a reception do you think
Nitnyaho is going to receive when he arrives.

Speaker 1 (00:36):
Well, if today's discussion is any indication, it's going to
be a bit frosty. The speeches on Tuesday were very
strong against Israel for the war in Gaza. We heard
from the Emir of Qatar, who's one of the three
countries that's working to get the ceasefire with the United
States in Egypt, and he called the situation in the

(00:59):
Palace in territory a genocide. He said he's still worked
to get a ceasefire, but he was, you know, very
strong about what the situation was. We heard from the
Turkish president, Raped Teyep Erdowan, who was also extremely strong
and emotional in his speech. You know, he is a

(01:21):
vocal supporter of Hamas, which is a US designated terror group,
and he directed a lot of his comments at Israel.
He said, they're disregarding human rights, they're trampling international law
at every opportunity, they're practicing ethnic cleansing. I mean, he
was really incensed about it. And King Abdullah of Jordan
as well, and he said, listen, you're not sending the

(01:42):
Palestinians here. It's not going to be an alternate, alternative
homeland for them. They're staying where they are. So there
were a lot of strong things, and not just from
the neighbors, from other countries in the global South.

Speaker 2 (01:54):
There seems to be mountain criticism, at least an our
part of the world, of the UN for being nothing
more than a hawk faced at the moment. Realistically, realistically,
what can or will the UN actually do to enforce
a ceasefire or create one.

Speaker 1 (02:09):
Look, it's not their job right now to create the Seaspire.
The United States cut in Egypt, have taken over that
role and they've been doing it for months, and they
they did get the Security Council to endorse a couple
of months ago the proposal that President Biden said the
Israelis put forward for a ceasefire in Gaza. But that

(02:31):
has just really gone nowhere. We keep hearing that it's
you know, ninety percent there, but it's just not you know,
quite the devils and the details. But now we've had
this terrible escalation this week in Lebanon. So it's you know,
leaders are very frustrated. We hear it every week in
the UN Security Council because there's a meeting on Gaza
practically every week in the Security Council. There will be

(02:54):
one this Friday night. There'll be an emergency meeting on
Lebanon Wednesday night as well. So there is growing frustration
with the lack of a ceasefire, and as casualties mount,
and as this war spreads and threatens the entire region.
So what can they practically do. It's up to world leaders.
You need political will. That's the bottom line. That the

(03:16):
Secretary General doesn't have his own army. He can't tell
people stop what you're doing.

Speaker 2 (03:20):
Yeah's right, Margaret, Thank you, Margaret but she a voice
of America's un correspondence. Heather duplessy Ala Hey development in
just the last few minutes on the situation in Israel.
For the first time, Hbola has fired a missile at
Tel Aviv. The IDF intercepted it. No reports of damage.
Quarter pasted for more from Heather Duplicy Allan Drive. Listen
live to news talks it'd be from four pm weekdays,

(03:41):
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