Icelandic Foreign Minister criticizes leaders at UN General Assembly

Icelandic Foreign Minister Thorgerdur Katrin Gunnarsdottir addressed the 81st United Nations General Assembly, delivering a sharp critique of world leaders. Responding to remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who labeled protesting diplomats ‘moral cowards,’ Gunnarsdottir redefined the term, stating that ‘moral cowards’ are actually those leaders who refuse to negotiate for lasting peace, block humanitarian aid, and repeatedly violate international law.

Addressing the conflict in Gaza, the minister emphasized that the suffering of Palestinian civilians must not become ‘mere background noise.’ She criticized the cycle of destruction and reconstruction in the Gaza Strip without addressing root causes and condemned illegal Israeli settlements and violence in the West Bank. Gunnarsdottir also reaffirmed Iceland’s support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, while warning that global crises in the Middle East and Ukraine should not overshadow other humanitarian emergencies, such as those in Sudan.