Erdan Condemns Palestinian, UN Leaders for Silence on Terror Attack

By Hamodia Staff

YERUSHALAYIM — Israel’s Ambassador to the U.N. Gilad Erdan excoriated Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres for failing to condemn the deadly terror bombings in Yerushalayim on Wednesday.

“Where is President Abbas’s condemnation of this horrific attack? He stands on the General Assembly podium and lies about seeking peace, but his deafening silence speaks volumes.

“Where is the sharp rebuke of Palestinian terror from the secretary general who is so quick to respond in every other circumstance? Secretary-General Guterres, where is your voice in the face of terror? How many more of my people must die before this biased institution wakes up?” The Jerusalem Post quoted him as saying.

Erdan’s remarks were made immediately after the United Nations Economic and Financial Committee approved a resolution proposed by the Israeli delegation titled “entrepreneurship for sustainable development” in a vote of 145-26 with 6 countries abstaining.

The Israeli envoy further chided the committee members for not giving their unanimous support and necessitating a vote on what would ordinarily be an uncontroversial matter in that forum.

“Unsurprisingly, this resolution was not adopted by consensus and the only reason why is because it was facilitated by the Jewish state, the only vibrant liberal democracy in the Middle East,” said Erdan.

“For this reason alone, a human rights-abusing member-state called for a vote. This country disputes a resolution that would only bring prosperity to its people, but I suppose we cannot be surprised. Syria is a member-state that commits grave human rights abuses and massacres its own citizens, many of whom fled to Israel and were given medical treatment in Israel. Despite this destructive approach, Israel will continue promoting entrepreneurship, innovation and development and will not cease to extend its arm in partnership to any willing country,” Erdan said.

Bahrain, despite its membership in the Abraham Accords, led the opposition, presenting the Arab Group’s argument that Israel is not the “right candidate” to submit such a resolution “because they utterly violate the content therein,” referring to the economic plight of the Palestinians in Gaza, for which it blamed Israel.

The Czech Republic’s representative at the committee said the European co-sponsors of the resolution expressed “regret” that it was “politicized” by some parties.

The resolution was co-sponsored by Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Japan, Ireland, Tajikistan, Turkey and Ukraine, among other countries.

The countries that voted against the resolution included the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Sudan and Syria, among others.