Israel's UN Ambassador: Anti-settlement resolution is height of hypocrisy

While thousands are being massacred in Syria, the Security Council wasted valuable time and efforts condemning the democratic State of Israel for building homes in the historic Jewish homeland.

By DANNY DANON
Updated: DECEMBER 27, 2016 14:16
A view of the Western Wall, the Temple Mount and Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
A view of the Western Wall, the Temple Mount and Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Friday, December 23 was a dark day for the United Nation’s Security Council as they adopted Resolution 2334, which condemned Israel for building in the Land of Israel and Jerusalem.
UN Security Council passes resolution demanding an end to Israeli settlement building
This was the height hypocrisy.
While thousands are being massacred in Syria, the Security Council wasted valuable time and efforts condemning the democratic State of Israel for building homes in the historic homeland of the Jewish people.
We presented the truth time and again to the Council and implored them not to believe the lies presented in Palestinian resolution.
By voting “yes” in favor of this resolution, they in fact voted “no.” They voted “no” to negotiations. They voted “no” to progress and a chance for better lives for Israelis and Palestinians. And they voted “no” to the possibility of peace.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, addressing the Security Council just one week earlier, said that the UN has “a disproportionate volume of resolutions, reports and conferences criticizing Israel.”
This resolution will be added to the long and shameful list of anti-Israel UN resolutions.
Instead of charting a course forward, the UN sent a message to the Palestinians: that they should continue on the path of terrorism and incitement; they should continue to hold their own people hostage; they should continue to seek meaningless statements from the international community.
The sad truth is that Friday’s vote will be a victory for terror. It will be a victory for hatred and violence. By continuing to provide excuses for the Palestinians to avoid recognizing our right to exist, the Security Council is only sustaining the status quo.
The world is undergoing great change and a new secretary-general will soon assume office. I call on the Security Council to take this opportunity to turn a new page. Put an end to the bias and obsession with Israel.
Stop this endless attempt to blame all the problems of the Middle East on the one true democracy in the region. They should make clear to the Palestinians that the only way forward is to end incitement and terror and to enter into direct and meaningful negotiations with Israel.
Just two months ago UNESCO approved an absurd resolution denying the connection between the Jewish people and Jerusalem. On Friday, the Security Council – including many of the world’s leading democracies, the beacons of liberty – voted to condemn the State of Israel.
They voted to condemn the Jewish people for building homes in the Land of Israel.
They voted to ban us from building in our historic capital of Jerusalem, the heart and soul of the Jewish people.
This week Israel and the Jewish people around the world are celebrating the Hanukka. Over two thousand years ago King Antiochus banished the Jewish people from our Temple in Jerusalem and issued decrees trying to sever us from our religion and our heritage.
But we prevailed. The Jewish people fought back. We regained our independence and relit the Menorah candles in the Temple.
I ask each and every member of the Security Council who voted for this resolution: who gave you the right to issue such a decree denying our eternal rights in Jerusalem? Would this Council have had the nerve to condemn the French from building in Paris? Would it condemn the Russians from building in Moscow? Would it condemn the Chinese from building in Beijing? Would it condemn the British from building in London? Would it condemn the Americans from building in Washington? We overcame those decrees during the time of the Maccabees and we will overcome this evil decree today. We have full confidence in the justice of our cause and in the righteousness of our path.
We will continue to be a democratic state based on the rule of law and full civil and human rights for all our citizens. At the same time, we will continue to be a Jewish state proudly reclaiming the land of our forefathers where the Maccabees fought their oppressors and King David ruled from Jerusalem.
Our holy book, the Bible, contains thousands of years of history of the Jewish people in the land of Israel. No one can change or rewrite this history.
The writer is Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations.