Israeli ambassador rips UN: The hypocrisy in this institution knows no bounds
Israel Hayom
May 21, 2021
On Thursday, at the UN General Assembly, Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan displays a clause in the Hamas charter
"We will never apologize for defending our citizens, even if some here might be happy to see a higher number of dead Jews," Gilad Erdan, Israel's ambassador to the United States and the United Nations, told the UN General Assembly on Thursday, accusing the gathering of a lack of support for Israel and lambasting its "hypocrisy."
"Right now, as I speak to you, Israeli citizens are running to seek shelter from Hamas' indiscriminate attacks," Erdan said.
Erdan cited the months it took for the UNGA to meet over a response to the coronavirus pandemic. "You are calling on Israel to exercise restraint when it is facing indiscriminate attacks every day," he said.
"The hypocrisy in this institution knows no boundaries," Erdan said, hitting out at Turkey, Denmark and France.
"We go above and beyond the demands of international law," Erdan said.
Erdan presented placards contrasting the clauses in the UN's charter, which seeks to uphold human rights, and that of Hamas, which calls for the destruction of Israel. Erdan accused the member states of failing to uphold the organization's founding principles through their weak action on Hamas.
"We see an attempt to create a false moral equivalence… between Israel, a democracy that seeks peace and abides by international law, and a murderous terrorist organization with an ideology similar to ISIS," Erdan said.
He accused Hamas of conducting the double war crime of attacking Israeli civilians while firing from behind Palestinian citizens, endangering them.
"It is outrageous that not only do you fail to call Hamas a terrorist organization, but you also refuse to demand that our sons are returned to their families," Erdan said.
The ambassador was referring to the bodies of Israeli soldiers Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul, and abducted citizens Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, held by Hamas since 2014.
"Hamas' charter, like the Nazis, is committed to the genocide of the Jewish people," Erdan said. "Israel makes every effort to avoid civilian casualties. Hamas makes every effort to increase civilian casualties."
Erdan said Israel "did everything to de-escalate the situation" and still favors a ceasefire, "but only after significantly degrading Hamas's terror machine. We are looking for a cure and not a bandaid."
"I have heard voices in this hall, accusing Israel of a disproportionate response based on the different number of Israeli and Palestinian casualties," he said.
"If the UN General Assembly had existed during the Nazi regime, would it have held a special session to condemn the Allies for their disproportionate response and the large number of German casualties? Would it have urged them to show restraint in the face of Hitler, the Nazi army and their supporters?" Erdan asked.
"You all know, and even the Palestinian representative [Riad Al-Maliki] here today knows, that Hamas' premeditated assault had nothing to do with any Israeli action. This was all the result of Hamas' frustration with [Palestinian Authority] President [Mahmoud] Abbas' decision to cancel the [Palestinian] elections [on April 29] and its desire to increase its political influence in east Jerusalem and the West Bank," Erdan accused.
"Hamas seeks to replace the Palestinian Authority, and take control of the Palestinian territories. So after the elections were canceled, it decided to launch a war of aggression against Israel," he said.
After PA Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki accused Israel of committing war crimes and deliberately massacring children in their sleep, Erdan walked out of the General Assembly meeting in protest.
Erdan was one of the few speakers at the UNGA session to speak unequivocally in defense of Israel's operation in Gaza in response to Hamas rocket fire. Representatives from 95 missions, including 12 ministers from Arab and Islamic countries, addressed the gathering, with the vast majority reiterating support for Palestinian self-determination, demanding an immediate ceasefire, and lamenting the destruction and loss of life in Gaza.
He warned that if the UN "strengthens Hamas, it will make the possibility of Hamas replacing the Palestinian Authority much more likely and eliminate the chance of future dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians."
"There is nothing to discuss with a terror organization committed to your annihilation, nothing. Hamas is an internationally designated terrorist organization and should be treated as one," he stressed.
The Israeli ambassador also lashed out at "the demonization of Israel," saying it is spurring "sickening antisemitic attacks" and singling out Turkey.
Erdan said there has never been "a clearer example of the fact that anti-Zionism is antisemitism" and called on all governments to take swift action to protect Jewish communities and apprehend perpetrators.
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