'Lebanon blocks UN statement on terror attacks'

Prosor says thwarting of statement shows some member states biased against Jewish state; Lebanon demands Israeli response included.

By GIL STERN STERN SHEFLER, JPOST CORRESPONDENT
UN Security Council_311 (photo credit: Reuters)
UN Security Council_311
(photo credit: Reuters)
NEW YORK – Lebanon blocked the Security Council on Friday from issuing a statement condemning the previous day’s terrorist attacks in southern Israel.
Beirut demanded that the statement drafted by the Israeli delegation be amended to include criticism of Israel’s retaliatory air strikes on Gaza.
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Rather than change the wording of the statement, Israel decided not to bring it for a vote, which would need the approval of all 15 members of the council including Lebanon.
“It is outrageous that the Security Council did not clearly condemn the deliberate and appalling murder of many innocent Israeli civilians, which occurred yesterday in a series of coordinated terrorist attacks,” Ron Prosor, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, said in statement. “It is no coincidence that Lebanon – the only member of the council that obstructed this statement — is itself dominated by a terrorist organization [Hezbollah].”
Prosor said the inability of the Security Council to pass a statement condemning the raid from Sinai proved that some member states of the United Nations were biased against the Jewish state.
“The silence now echoing from the Security Council Chamber is a sad reminder that the United Nations is too often deaf and blind when it comes to acts of terror committed against the people of Israel,” he said.
Next month, Israel faces one of its biggest challenges at the UN when the Palestinians are expected to seek nation-member status at the opening of the 66th session of the General Assembly. The Palestinians will likely receive support for their bid from Lebanon, which will hold the temporary presidency of the Security Council, and Qatar, whose envoy Nassir Abdulaziz Nasser will become president of the General Assembly.
“There’s no way for us to prevent it,” a spokeswoman for the Israeli mission said. “It’s not easy, but we have an equal voice in the General Assembly and we’ll do everything we can to make our voice heard. Besides, we’re also involved in many other non-related issues like battling desertification, so it’s business as usual.”
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