United States President Donald Trump has told the United Nations General Assembly that Israel’s war on Gaza must stop immediately as he called the recent recognition of Palestinian statehood by several Western countries a “reward” for Hamas.
“We have to stop the war in Gaza immediately,” Trump told world leaders in New York on Tuesday, adding that he has been “deeply engaged” in trying to secure a ceasefire.
He reiterated his call for the captives held in Gaza to be returned home. “We have to get it done. We have to negotiate peace. We have to get the hostages back. We want all 20 back,” he said, referring to the 20 of the 48 remaining captives still believed to be alive.
Those who support peace should be united in demanding the release of the captives, he told the leaders gathered for the General Assembly.
“As if to encourage continued conflict, some of this body is seeking to unilaterally recognise the Palestinian state. The rewards would be too great for Hamas terrorists, for their atrocities,” he said.
In contrast, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at a meeting on Sunday at the UN aimed at reviving the two-state solution that statehood for Palestinians “is a right, not a reward”.
Trump also blasted the United Nations and Europe on his return to the world body, warning that Western countries were “going to hell” because of migration and calling climate change a “con job.”
Trump also accused the world body of failing to help him as he tried to broker a series of peace deals including in Gaza and Ukraine.
“What is the purpose of the United Nations?” asked Trump in a wide-ranging speech lasting nearly an hour. “It has such tremendous potential but it’s not even coming close to living up to that.”
Trump’s first speech to the UN back in 2018 saw fellow leaders laughing at the Republican, but this time his full-frontal attack on the global organization and US allies was received in near total silence.
The 79-year-old’s litany of complaints even extended to a broken escalator and teleprompter at the New York headquarters of the UN, which he has repeatedly targeted during both of his presidential terms.
“These are the two things I got from the United Nations: a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter,” he said.
Trump began his speech by criticizing the UN for failing to get involved in what he claims are seven wars that he has ended, or in his failed efforts to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Israel’s war in Gaza.
“All they seem to do is write a really strongly worded letter,” he said. “It’s empty words, and empty words don’t solve war.”
Trump had more harsh words for European allies for failing to stop oil purchases from Russia. He criticized China and India on the same score — but Moscow itself escaped relatively lightly.
His strongest language was reserved for blasting migration, one of the core political messages that has driven his two US election victories.
Trump lambasted the UN for “funding an assault” on Western nations that he described as an “invasion.”
“Your countries are going to hell,” he told European leaders.
The US president took a typically controversial stance on climate change too, calling it a “hoax” made up by “evil people.” He has pushed for oil drilling and rolled back environmental protections since returning to office.
“Climate change — it’s the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world,” said Trump.
Trump boasted of his tough crime policies, including sending troops to Washington and deadly US strikes on alleged Venezuelan drug smuggling boats.
“To every terrorist thug smuggling poisonous drugs into the United States of America, please be warned that we will blow you out of existence,” Trump said.
Trump’s second term has opened with a blaze of nationalist policies curbing cooperation with the rest of the world.