Algeria’s minister of foreign affairs pushed back against Israel’s claim that it is geographically surrounded by countries that want to destroy it, pointing out the latest acts of aggression against Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, Iran and most recently, Qatar.
Israel purports to be “a shrine of democracy” but acts “arrogantly against all countries in the region,” Ahmed Attaf told the Security Council, calling the country “the gravest threat” to peace and security.
“The issue of security in the Middle East did not start on Oct. 7, 2023,” he said, adding that reducing conflict in the region to that date would be “unjust and biased.”
Algeria, whose history also includes fighting violent occupation, was the first country to formally recognize the State of Palestine in 1988. Attaf on Tuesday called for Palestine’s full membership to the UN.
