Israel heads up Autism Awareness UN events

Day will culminate in the screening of 2 episodes of the Israeli series Yellow Peppers, a show that raised autism awareness in Israel for its treatment of a child with autism in the Arava.

Israeli Ambassador to the UN Meron Reuben 311 (photo credit: Shahar Azran)
Israeli Ambassador to the UN Meron Reuben 311
(photo credit: Shahar Azran)
NEW YORK – On Thursday, the United Nations will commemorate UN World Autism Awareness Day, and for the third year in a row, the Israeli delegation to the UN will head up the day’s activities as well as active advocacy on behalf of autism treatment.
The day will culminate in the screening of two episodes of the Israeli series Yellow Peppers, a show that raised autism awareness in Israel for its treatment of a child with autism in the Arava. One hundred-twenty diplomats, as well as members of nongovernmental organizations, are expected to attend the event, according to Amir Weissbrod, a senior political adviser to the Israeli mission.
After the screening, Israeli Ambassador to the UN Meron Reuben will hold a conversation with the series’s director and a representative of the UN secretary-general. An Israeli-style dinner with Israeli wines will also be served.
Reuben said, “I am proud to be Israel’s representative leading the UN International Autism Awareness Day events, as the Israeli delegation to the United Nations takes an active role on the global agenda at the UN.”
The event, Weissbrod said, allows Israel to step out of its normal role at the UN, mired in Security Council and Middle East arguments, and to turn its attention to other issues.
“This shows that Israel is in the forefront and contributes something significant to special education,” Weissbrod said. “It illustrates that we’re part of something larger, and that we are trying to contribute to other issues in the world community.”