In a recently leaked 53-page document, former UN envoy to the Middle East Alvaro de Soto, who quit in May, has harshly criticized the UN for not focusing on the concerns of the global community, and being subservient instead to American and Israeli interests. He called the Quartet of Middle East negotiators a “sideshow”, and suggested that the UN should withdraw. He described the Quartet of the US, Russia, EU, and UN as “pretty much a group of friends of the US,” adding that UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon should “seriously reconsider” membership.

De Soto also criticized economic sanctions imposed on Palestine due to the democratic election of Hamas last year. The sanctions were created to punish the Palestinians for voting the wrong way, and have had “devastating consequences” on the occupied territories. “The steps taken by the international community with the presumed purpose of bringing about a Palestinian entity that will live in peace with its neighbor Israel have had precisely the opposite effect,” he wrote on May 5th. “Even-handedness has been pummeled into submission in an unprecedented way since the beginning of 2007.”

De Soto further criticized the relationship between the two nations by saying there was a tendency among US policy-makers “to cower before any hint of Israeli displeasure and to pander shamelessly before Israeli-linked audiences”. He also said that Israeli policies seemed “perversely designed to encourage the continued action by Palestinian militants”.

De Soto also said “a premium is been put on good relations with the US and improving the UN’s relationship with Israel.” He continued, “I don’t honestly think the UN does Israel any favors at all by not speaking frankly to it about its failings regarding the peace process.”

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