Haley Chi-Sing, Fox News, April 25th 2023
Recap:
Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan walked out of Tuesday's United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting, slamming the committee for holding an anti-Israel debate on Israel's Memorial Day.
The Context:
· On Yom Hazikaron, Israel memorializ es thousands of soldiers killed defending the country before celebrating Israel’s independence the following day. In recent years, it has also come to include civilians killed in terror attacks. 24,213 died during service to the country since 1860 and 4,255 terror victims have been killed. 59 soldiers died during their military service since Israel’s last Memorial Day.
· The UNSC held a session on "the Palestinian question," which was led by Russia [1]. Palestinian Foreign Affairs Minister Riyad al-Maliki attended the gathering and thanked it for recognizing the Nakba, or the Catastrophe, a term referring to Israel’s establishment as a state [2].
· Refusing to participate in the debate, Erdan lit a candle and recited the names of Israelis who, within the past year, fell in the line of duty or were killed by Palestinian terrorists. Erdan told the Security Council that Yom Hazikaron “holds more sanctity to Israelis than any other day of the year [2]” and criticized the UNSC for its “blatant lies against Israel” while Iran is “not even a footnote [3]”.
· The General Assembly condemned Israel more than all other countries combined in 2022 and late last year held a crucial vote on Israel after the start of Shabbat, without Israeli diplomats present [4].
Conversation Points:
· What steps should Israel take to address UN bias?
· How does bias at the UN affect prospects for peace in the region?
· How has Israel's military history shaped its national identity?
Notes:
1. Israel’s UN envoy walks out of Security Council to protest Memorial Day session, LUKE Tress, April 25th, 2023
2. Protesting UN debate on Yom Hazikaron, Israeli ambassador reads names of fallen Israelis, JNS, April 26th, 2023
3. Israeli envoy slams UN for Palestinian agenda on Memorial Day, Mike Wagenheim, i24 News, April 25th, 2023
4. Israel’s UN envoy walks out of Security Council to protest Memorial Day session, LUKE Tress, April 25th, 2023
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