NEW YORK – The new Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations, Ron Prosor, started work Wednesday, taking over for Meron Reuben, who had held the post on an interim basis since last year’s departure of Gabriella Shalev.Prosor will be the 16th Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations. Previously, he was Israel’s Ambassador to Great Britain from 2007 until this year. Prosor has also served as Foreign Ministry Director-General and as a participant in the Wye Camp David peace talks in 1998. Prosor has served in foreign service capacities in Washington, Bonn and London.RELATED:Israel names Ron Prosor permanent envoy to the UNUK envoy: Israel's foes cross red linesProsor said he is honored by the “great responsibility” of representing Israel at the United Nations, and that he is “confident” that he can present Israel’s agenda on political and security issues.var zflag_nid='794'; var zflag_cid='1091/988'; var zflag_sid='122'; var zflag_width='300'; var zflag_height='250'; var zflag_sz='9'; Prosor comes into his job at a particularly intriguing time, in light of the Palestinians perhaps going forward with a push for a unilateral UN declaration of statehood in September, as well as the scheduled UN commemoration of the anti-Israel Durban conference of 2001. Prosor has said he will make sure that he addresses these issues, but that he will also take measures to make sure Israel’s positive impact is felt on the UN in areas beyond the Middle East conflict, and that Israel is seen as positively contributing to the international body. “Not since Abba Eban's stints at the UN General Assembly has Israel had a diplomat who can put his country's case with such fluency and flair,” the Jewish Chronicle of London said of Prosor on his departure from his post. “A long-time admirer of President Shimon Peres, whom he can imitate with uncanny accuracy, Prosor has also taken on the Peres mantle of verbal dexterity, frequently coining phrases to sum up Israel's situation which crop up in repeated speeches. (He also, it should be noted, has a weakness for terrible puns and football allusions.)”
