Amid the delicate negotiations for a ceasefire, there exists a pivotal opportunity to go further and not only halt the ongoing conflict but also lay the groundwork for lasting peace.
This proposal, marked by its seriousness and urgency, is to be presented to the United Nations, with the objective of serving as a beacon of hope for Israel, the United States and world peace. Even in the event of its rejection, the presentation will stand as a challenge to the world's priorities in replacing political maneuvering with the pursuit of genuine peace.
The proposal, the timing of which will depend on the negotiations ongoing to put into effect a cease-fire, is that the President of Israel, Issac Herzog, not Mr. Netanyahu — who is too controversial — put his hat in his hands and confront the organization which is, at least from Israel's standpoint, their longest standing enemy.
However improbable as this may sound, Israel needs to confront the United Nations with the fact that, over the past 75 years, it has passed a disproportionate number of resolutions with Israel as the target. Even Syria, which has been responsible for the deaths of an estimated 300,000 to half a million of their own people, have elicited fewer condemnations than Israel.
The failure of the United Nations to consistently condemn North Korea, Russia, China and other regimes that have flagrantly violated international law, and persecuted its own peoples, is indisputable. Since the creation of the U.N. Human Resource Council in 2006, it has resolved almost as many resolutions condemning Israel as for the rest of the world combined.
Israel, therefore, considers the United Nations to be a profoundly unjust arbiter of blame in international conflicts. The obsession with Israel, as the origin of all evils, has contributed to the inability of Israel accompanied by the United States and its other allies, to achieve a solution benefiting Israel and also the Palestinians and furthermore to the wave of antisemitism that we are witnessing in many places in the world.
And all of this is exactly why Isaac Herzog should go before the General Assembly, with the following message:
He will say that he has a proposal to end the existing tragic conflict that is premised on the fundamental understanding that in the world of international relations, the twin pillars of national sovereignty — defense and diplomacy — underscore the imperative of a balanced approach in upholding international law and fostering meaningful alliances.
The first is the ability of a country to defend itself, and when necessary to take offensive action to prevent attacks from hostile neighbors especially when aimed at non combatants.
The second pillar is the ability of a country to use negotiation, diplomacy and international political relations, to assure the development of strategic alliances to achieve a place of stability for itself and its neighbors. This consideration is often fundamental because even when international agreements are made, they cannot be effective without the ability and willingness of the community of nations to fairly enforce them.
Israel uniquely has not been able to count on the international community. An example of the historic disproportionate condemnation of Israel is in the case of the Gaza war, with members of the Security Council refusing resolutions proposed by the United States to couple a cease-fire with a release of the hostages.
Israel’s president would propose a permanent cease fire in Gaza if the General Assembly will pass the following three Resolutions.
- The General Assembly will resolve that the acts committed against Israel on October 7 were terrorist acts, and terrorism is unjustified under any circumstance, and can never be considered to be a legitimate weapon.
- The General Assembly will accept a resolution demanding Hamas to release all hostages.
- The General Assembly will resolve that any institution or consortium of governments to be responsible for governing Gaza, will not include Hamas as a party constituting that government.
In light of the terrible humanitarian crisis that this war is bringing, Mr Herzog will come before this illustrious body in the hope that member states will see the danger to world peace in continuing to play politics and to refuse to take action that are honest and balanced. And to allow the General Assembly to make that choice.
Ultimately, this suggestion is for Herzog to take his county’s grievances directly to where injustice has prospered for decades and to transcend mere rhetoric by advocating a seismic shift in global diplomacy — one anchored in principles of justice, inclusivity and mutual respect.
By empowering the General Assembly to champion peace, President Herzog would reaffirm Israel's unwavering commitment to a future defined not by conflict but by cooperation and coexistence.
Mark L. Cohen has his own legal practice, and was counsel at White & Case starting in 2001, after serving as international lawyer and senior legal consultant for the French aluminum producer Pechiney. Cohen was a senior consultant at a Ford Foundation Commission, an advisor to the PBS television program "The Advocates," and Assistant Attorney General in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He teaches U.S. history at the business school in Lille l'EDHEC. Read Mark L. Cohen's Reports — More Here.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.