At UN General Assembly, Iceland Rebukes 'Moral Cowards' as Canada Signals Wider Outreach
Iceland's foreign minister challenged Netanyahu's 'moral cowards' remark at the UN, Canada's top diplomat stressed diversified partnerships, and a rumor about Xi Jinping's arrival proved unfounded.
China and Russia took their turns at the United Nations on Saturday, but the day's proceedings also produced moments that resonated well beyond the chamber.
Iceland's foreign minister, Thorgerdur Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, used her address to turn around a phrase Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had directed a day earlier at delegates walking out on his speech. Netanyahu had called them "moral cowards."
Speaking about Gaza, Gunnarsdóttir rejected that framing. She said the label better fits leaders who decline to negotiate a just and lasting peace, who block humanitarian access to people in desperate need, and who repeatedly disregard international law.
Canada's foreign minister, Anita Anand, used her time at the podium to signal that Ottawa is broadening its horizons. In a turbulent year for U.S.-Canada relations, she said her country can no longer afford to be overly reliant on any one partner.
Anand pointed to efforts to strengthen economic ties with Europe, India, China and African countries, along with a series of new security, defence and economic agreements reached this year. She noted that Canada is raising defence spending in line with NATO commitments and expanding its diplomatic presence, including a recently opened consulate in Greenland aimed at fostering Arctic connections.
The message echoed Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who has argued that middle powers must look out for themselves and for the international order itself. Anand told the assembly that Canada is a reliable partner ready to work together in a rapidly changing world.
Earlier, a rumor briefly circulated that Chinese leader Xi Jinping would leave Washington and President Donald Trump to travel to New York, raising the question of whether he would address the assembly on China's behalf. Reporters scrambled to prepare for the possibility.
Inquiries inside the UN compound found no Chinese advance team on site, which would have been expected had Xi been en route. Vice President Han Zheng spoke on Saturday as scheduled, and Xi returned to Beijing.