On Tuesday, Feb. 23, Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Ron Prosor addressed the U.N. Security Council, which was meeting to congratulate itself and “reaffirm” its international commitment to the principles outlined in the UN Charter.

Prosor could not permit the occasion to pass without drawing attention to the ways in which the institution falls far short of the grand ideals which, 70 years ago, drove representatives of 50 nations to draw up the Charter upon which the U.N. was created.

The U.N. Charter enshrined several fundamental principles:

first, to maintain international peace and security and take effective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to peace; second, to advance relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights; third, to promote and encourage respect for human rights; and fourth, to be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations. Prosor deftly excised the verbiage to reveal the myriad ways in which the U.N. undermines those lofty ideals, replacing them, instead, with cowardice and appeasement towards those who most betray the U.N. principles, and discrimination and vilification of at least one nation committed to upholding those principles: Israel.

The Israeli ambassador explained that the greatest threat to global security comes from the terrorist radical Islamist groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, Al-Qaeda, ISIS and Boko Haram. He described their battle against the civilized world as one “between civility and barbarism, between pluralistic and totalitarian society, between tyranny and freedom.”

Those extremists are destabilizing communities, nations and entire regions of the world, yet the U.N. has “been reluctant to take decisive action,” Prosor said, and on occasion, the U.N. has “surrendered to those nations that harbor, fund and support terrorist groups.”

Hezbollah, in particular, was held out by Prosor as an example of the U.N.’s inclination to coddle, not curb, terrorism, pointing out that the Iranian-sponsored terrorist group has held Lebanon hostage for nearly three decades, while it continues its “reign of terror.”

The U.N. has also failed in its stated dedication to the principle of equal rights, with member nations that impose the death penalty for loving the “wrong” people or believing in the “wrong” faiths. Prosor pointed to the recent beheadings by ISIS of 21 Coptic Christians as merely the latest in a decades-long process of badgering and discriminating against Middle Eastern Christians, until their number has dwindled to small minorities.

Prosor also pointed an accusatory finger at various member nations who sit on the U.N.’s Human Rights Council, such as Venezuela, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Algeria. The lack of a free judiciary and a free press in those countries makes their membership a mockery of the Council.

Last year Iran was elected to serve as Vice Chair of the U.N.’s legal committee. Prosor pointed out the absurdity of making such a choice when Iranian citizens are denied due process and fair trials, and they are not even permitted to participate in Iranian national affairs.

Prosor told the Council:

The fact of the matter is that this institution has been hijacked. The ruthless autocracies that jail journalists rush to lecture us on the virtues of a free press. The repressive dictatorships that persecute political opponents filibuster on the sanctity of free and fair elections. And the mass-murdering tyrannical regimes preach to us about human rights.

Finally the Israeli ambassador addressed the treatment of the tiny country he represents at the hands of the U.N. Prosor patiently recounted just some of the ways in which Israel has been treated as a pariah nation by the U.N.

For example, last year alone the General Assembly adopted 20 resolutions singling out Israel for condemnation. All other nations were reprimanded by punitive resolutions a total of three times. In 2014, the Syrian civil war raged with chemical weapons and barrel bombs directed at its own citizens, Boko Haram slaughtered thousands, Russia invaded Crimea, North Korea continued its totalitarian regime oppressing its citizens, and Saudi Arabia executed dozens of its citizens, yet Israel was singled out for criticism time and again.

Since 2006, more than half of all resolutions adopted by the U.N. Human Rights Council in criticism of a particular country have been directed at Israel. This isn’t logical, it isn’t moral – it is simply prejudice.

media credit: Israel Mission to the UN, New York

Prosor then took the occasion to link the proceedings in the U.N. with last night’s Academy Awards. He suggested what would happen if the U.N. decided to give out Oscars for “Maintenance of International Peace and Security.”

Media Credit: Israel Mission to the UN, New York

The U.N. would give the Best Actor award “for acting like a peace loving country while developing nuclear capabilities, denying the Holocaust, and threatening the destruction of another member state to…..Iran.”

Prosor suggested the U.N. would give the Best Supporting Actor award to Hezbollah for its “unrelenting support to the Assad Regime in killing hundreds of thousands of civilians.”

The Israeli ambassador had several other predictions for winners in the U.N.’s version of the Academy awards. To watch him deliver them, watch the video of his speech, below.

The following is the full text of the letter sent by Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Ron Prosor, both to the president of the United Nations Security Council, Gary Francis Quinlin, and to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban ki-moon. Prosor’s letter is about the murders of Israelis praying in a synagogue, when they were – literally – cut down with axes, knives and a meat cleaver.

The letter describes not only the horrific events, but places the blame squarely on Mahmoud Abbas, the acting leader of the Palestinian Authority, for his repeated acts of incitement. It also describes the official Fatah website referring to the massacre as a “heroic operation,” and the celebrations which erupted amongst the Palestinian Arabs upon hearing of the gruesome murder of innocent, unarmed Jewish worshippers.

Amb. Prosor called up on the president of the Security Council to distribute the letter, in its entirety, to the full Security Council, as an official document of the UNSC.

***
11.18.2014

​Excellency,

Early this morning, the quiet that normally blankets the peaceful Jerusalem neighborhood of Har Nof was shattered. Two Palestinian terrorists armed with knives, axes and a gun stormed a synagogue and savagely attacked the Jewish worshipers who had gathered for morning prayers. The terrorists barbarically murdered four people and wounded eight others.

Three of the victims, Rabbis Moshe Twersky, Aryeh Kupinsky, and Kalman Levine were dual Israeli-U.S. citizens, and the fourth, Rabbi Avraham Shmuel Goldberg, was a dual British-Israeli citizen.

Israel is searching for a partner in peace, but all we have found is a partnership of terror – in the unity government of Abbas and Hamas. In recent weeks, President Abbas has called on Palestinians to prevent Jews from visiting the Temple Mount using “all means” necessary and repeatedly called for a “Day of Rage.”

Every time the Palestinian Authority inflames tensions, violence follows. This morning saw the sixth terrorist attack against Israelis in less than a month. We have been attacked on train platforms and on the streets of our largest cities; today we learned that innocent Israelis can’t even find sanctuary in the sanctuary of a synagogue.

Following this morning’s massacre, President Abbas’s official Fatah website called this a “heroic operation” and senior leaders praised the attack. Within hours, celebrations erupted in Palestinian towns and villages. Sweets were distributed, young Palestinian men posed with axes, loudspeakers at mosques in Gaza called out congratulations, and relatives of the terrorists hailed them as “martyrs” and “heroes.”

This disturbing response to the heinous slaughter of four innocent people is a stark indication of the culture of incitement that pervades Palestinian society. All nations and decent people should condemn this morning’s appalling act of savagery and call on President Abbas and his Fatah party to stop the anti-Israel incitement, stop glorifying murderers, and stop celebrating the murder of innocent civilians.

I should be grateful if you would have this letter distributed as an official document of the Security Council. I wish to inform you that an identical letter has been sent to H.E. Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations. Please accept, Excellency, the assurance of my highest consideration.
Yours truly,

Ron Prosor
Ambassador
Permanent Representative

H.E. Mr. Gary Francis Quinlan
President of the Security Council
United Nations
New York

Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Ron Prosor, condemned the UN Security Council for its utter silence following the recent Arab terror attacks that have killed and injured a number of Israelis.

Prosor noted that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas praised the terror attacks, and even sent a letter of condolence to the family of one of the terrorists. He described that despite the PA chief’s glorification of the terror attacks, the UN Security Council remains completely silent.

Prosor added that he has no expectations that the UNSC will actually say anything:

I write to you today with the full expectation that the Council will continue adhering to its vow of silence. Should the Council revise its policy and deem it appropriate to condemn the Palestinians leadership’s incitement and the violence that follows, I will be the first to commend the Council for embracing sound judgment and upholding international peace and security.

On Wednesday, the PA asked the UN Security Council to condemn Israel for “provocations and incitement”.

Today, Nov. 4, is election day, and later this week a highly politically-charged pair is appearing in Washington, D.C. at an event for Israeli Americans.

Former presidential candidate Gov. Mitt Romney and former vice presidential candidate Sen. Joe Lieberman will headline the first annual Israeli American Council (IAC) National Conference at the Washington Hilton Hotel. Sound like a dream ticket? Certainly a better one for Israel than the current team in the White House.

This first national gathering of Israeli-Americans is intended to solidify the community’s voice and “explore how to strengthen the American-Jewish community, the next generation and the relationship between the State of Israel and the United States.”

Dan Senor, author of “Start-up Nation,” will interview Gov. Romney on Friday evening. The main topic of discussion is expected to be this week’s mid-term election results and the current U.S.-Israel relationship.

This will be the first time Romney will be formally addressing the Jewish and Israeli-American community since the 2012 presidential elections. Hint, hint?

Other heavy hitters at the IAC conference, which will take place between Nov. 7 – 9, include Sheldon Adelson and Haim Saban, who will appear on a panel together on Sunday morning.

Other prominent Americans, Israelis and Israeli Americans attending the conference include Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.); Rep. Ted Deutch (D-Fl-21); Israeli’s Ambassador to the U.S., Ron Dermer; Israel’s Representative to the UN, Ron Prosor; Israeli National Security Council member and terrorism expert Dr. Anat Berko; Israel’s former U.N. Ambassador Dan Gillerman; Israel’s Leader of the Opposition MK Buji Herzog; Israel’s brand new Minister of the Interior Gilad Erdan, and many others.

The IAC “seeks to build an engaged and united Israeli-American community that strengthens our next generations, the American Jewish community, and the State of Israel.”

“As Americans and Israelis, we see it as our duty and obligation to strengthen the relationship between Israel and the United States,” said IAC National Chairman Shawn Evenhaim.

“This conference marks the first time that leaders and professionals from the Israeli-American and Jewish communities from across the country are coming together to explore how to build a united and engaged community.”

Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Ron Prosor, has demanded the world body take action against Hamas for the terror group’s clear violations against international humanitarian law.

“Despite the fact that the UN has recognized the war crimes committed by Hamas during the fighting, nothing has been done about the matter,” he said in a letter sent to the UN Security Council and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The letter included a detailed report of terrorist artillery and missile fire that emanated from civilian population centers in Gaza during Operation Protective Edge.

“I expect the Security Council to condemn with a clear voice the tactics of Hamas,” he wrote, according to the Hebrew-language NRG news site. “The Council cannot be silent in light of the use by Hamas of Gaza civilians as human shields.”

The Palestinian Authority unity government led by Ramallah-based PLO Chairman and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas, which includes Hamas, has demanded the UN Security Council set a deadline for Israel to withdraw from all territory won in the 1967 Six Day War, including parts of its capital restored to the nation during that defensive conflict. Failing that, Abbas has vowed to charge Israel with war crimes in the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague.

Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Ron Prosor warned the United Nations Wednesday that its willingness to be held ”hostage” by human rights abusers will boomerang on the entire world.

“Today I am here to issue a warning: Stand with Israel and stand against terror before it is too late, before the danger lands on your doorstep and self-preservation strikes its jarring gong,” Prosor said at a special session of the General Assembly that dumped on Israel.

His remark was a quote in a statement by Winston Churchill in 1935, four years before World War II, when he referred to the world’s allowing Germany to re-arm and stated, “The family of nations suffered from a want of foresight, an unwillingness to act when action would be simple and effective, and a lack of clear thinking and confusion of counsel until the emergency comes, until self-preservation strikes its jarring gong.”

Prosor told the ambassadors of the world that “Hamas must be disarmed, Gaza must be demilitarized., and the international community must divorce itself from the romantic notion of Hamas as ‘freedom fighters.’”

He cited the numbers of people killed in Arab countries and silence from the Arab world.

“In Iraq, over 1,600 people were killed in July. In Libya, clashes between rival militias killed 200 people last month. In Nigeria, Boko Haram has slaughtered nearly 3,000 people this year,” Prosor explained. “It may just be me, but I didn’t hear the Arab group rally to condemn these atrocities. Instead, this group gangs up against the only democratic nation in the Middle East that is defending its citizens from the totalitarian forces threatening every enlightened country in this Assembly.”

“Israel is on the frontline of the war against radical extremism,” Prosor added. “The battle we fight today is the same battle that you all will fight tomorrow….

And yet, some of you have abandoned the only democracy in the Middle East standing against the tide of terrorism. What does this say about your values? What does it mean for the next generation? This institution is being held hostage by some in this Assembly who are the worst human rights abusers.”

The United Nation Security Council held an emergency session on Friday to address the escalation of violence between Gaza and Israel.

U.N. Undersecretary Jeffrey Feltman spoke at the beginning of the session. He announced that U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon will be arriving in the region tomorrow, Saturday, July 20, in an attempt to help rein in the hostilities.

Feltman also mentioned several points raised by acting leader of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas. He said Abbas believes the PA should be ensuring security along the Philadelphi corrider, and that there has to be one entity in charge of both all Palestinian Arabs, including those in Gaza.

At the conclusion of his statement, Feltman waxed rhapsodic about the holy grail of the “peace process:” the creation of a Palestinian State so that the “Two State Solution” can herald the dawning of the era of peace and harmony.

And then, as if cynics were writing the script instead of people who actually believe this malarky, the U.N. ambassador from “Palestine” spoke, making it crystal clear that the Palestinian Arabs have no interest in anything like peace with Israel.

The representative from “Palestine,” Riyad Mansour, launched into an invective-filled diatribe accusing Israel of intentionally causing the murder of Arab babies, and insisting that the brutal occupation by the savage Israelis is the root cause of every problem in the region.

Mansour even stated that Israel “cynically used the deaths of three Israeli teenagers” as an excuse to restart its war machine in order to inflict the greatest harm possible on the poor Gazans who are in a stranglehold due to the illegal embargo and closure of its borders.

Not content to use every bloodthirsty adjective to describe Israel, Mansour also spent a good portion of his speaking time reading names and ages of children he claimed have been killed by Israel.

For his part, Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Ron Prosor seized the opportunity to engage in rhetorical warfare, although of a far more subtle type.

“Hamas lives by violence and celebrates death. I want to be clear, our forces are fighting in Gaza, but they are not fighting the people of Gaza,” Prosor said.

Prosor also took the opportunity to castigate the nearly immediate, nearly universal international support for the Palestinian unity government. He said that simply allowed a fig leaf for Hamas to continue its violence and reign of terror against Israelis.

Neither of the parties’ spokespeople struck a surprising note. Perhaps the biggest surprise to wary observers was the statement made by U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Samantha Power.

Power’s brief statement was emphatic about the need to de-escalate the violence. However, she did not spin any fairy tales about how it is only the lack of a Palestinian State which is blocking the peace train from rolling through the region. Nor did Power equate the two parties to the conflict. Power said the indiscriminate rocket fire from Gaza into Israel had to stop, and she called on both parties to try their utmost to reduce civilian casualties.

At least at this point, given that there were no marches in the aisles of the U.N. demanding Israel cease so that Hamas can continue firing (a joke Prosor employed during his remarks), it was not an altogether terrible day for Israel at the United Nations.