"Perhaps most offensive are Lilley’s crocodile tears over the civil war in Sudan which has displaced as many as 14.5 million people. If he really cared a whit about what was happening in Sudan, he would write about Israel’s deep security and technology ties with the UAE, the RSF's primary backer, as well as reports of Israeli surveillance tech and arms reaching the paramilitary group."
To the Sun editorial newsroom
I am writing to you on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME), expressing concern regarding Brian Lilley’s opinion piece “While the world burns the UN looks away” (Sept 20, 2026). Mr Lilley accuses the UN of “doing a really bad job” because it is “distracted by politics, double standards and protecting bad actors.”
Unfortunately, his arguments do little to explain the UN’s real weaknesses. They are rather, a partisan rehashing of Israel’s attacks on the international body because it is the forum where the world has unequivocally expressed its condemnation of Israel’s war crimes and Gaza genocide.
If the UN General Assembly has passed many resolutions condemning Israel, it is because Israel consistently defies those resolutions and shamelessly continues to violate international law.
As a sign of UN weakness, Lilley wrings his hands over how Russia’s Security Council veto allows it to block international condemnation of its invasion of Ukraine. Odd then that he fails to mention the American Security Council veto which has consistently blocked meaningful action to combat Israeli genocide in Palestine.
He claims that the UN has been “useless” in stopping Iran’s progress towards developing nuclear weapons. But while Iran has always denied even the intention of developing such weapons, Israel has for years possessed such an arsenal in defiance of the Nuclear non-proliferation treaty, with the backing of the US.
He then goes on to parrot Israeli calls to defund the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRAW), on the spurious grounds that it is somehow linked to terrorism. UNRAW coordinates international aid to Palestinian survivors of the genocide under strict oversight and accountability mechanisms. Countries such as Spain, Norway and Canada which have reviewed such Israeli allegations have found them to be unsubstantiated. That is why Canada continues to fund the organization.
Perhaps most offensive are Lilley’s crocodile tears over the civil war in Sudan which has displaced as many as 14.5 million people. If he really cared a whit about what was happening in Sudan, he would write about Israel’s deep security and technology ties with the UAE, the RSF's primary backer, as well as reports of Israeli surveillance tech and arms reaching the paramilitary group.
The problem isn’t that the “UN doesn’t have a conscience.” The problem is that the US has consistently shielded Israel from international condemnation at the UN. The world would like a more powerful UN that could effectively intervene in situations such as Israel’s genocide or the Sudanese civil war. The US and Israel only want a weaker UN, one that cannot hold them accountable.
Tim McCaskell
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