“Do not let those gloat over me who are my enemies without cause; do not let those who hate me without reason maliciously wink the eye. They do not speak peaceably, but devise false accusations against those who live quietly in the land.” (Psalm 35:19–20)
Riyad H. Mansour, Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the UN, briefs journalists on April 27, 2016. (UN photo by Eskinder Debebe)
During a press conference Wednesday, Palestinian Authority (PA) Representative to the United Nations Riyad Mansour equated Israel with the Hitler regime and slammed his Israeli counterpart, Danny Danon, for identifying PA terrorists as “terrorists.”
According to Mansour, “all the Palestinian people who have legitimate rights to resist the occupation in legitimate ways” are unfairly labeled as “terrorists.”
“Guess what — all colonizers [Nazis], all occupiers [Nazis], including those who suppressed the Warsaw [Ghetto] Uprising [more Nazis], labeled those who resisted them [Jews] as terrorists,” Mansour said.
Mansour’s attack on Danon followed a “dramatic” verbal confrontation between the two representatives during a UN Security Council meeting on April 18.
Danon brought as guests to the meeting the daughter and husband of slain terrorist-victim Dafna Meir, and called on the Palestinians to “stop the hatred” and to condemn terrorism, which he noted Mansour was unable to do.
“You should say it in Arabic, not [just] in English. You should teach it in your schools,” Danon said at the Security Council meeting.
“You should stop the hatred. You should stop naming streets after terrorists. Look at the squares in Ramallah, look at the streets in Jenin; you name streets after terrorists,” he said. In Israel, “We condemn all terrorism in Hebrew, in English, in Arabic.” (Arutz Sheva)
Mansour responded, “We condemn the killing of all innocent civilians, including Palestinian civilians. Do you do the same? Do you do the same? Do you do the same?”
Danon continued: “You [are] paying them. You [are] paying the families of the terrorists. You [are] glorifying terrorism. Shame on you for doing that. Shame on you for glorifying terrorists. Shame on you for not saying we condemn all acts of terror, period. That’s what we’re saying. We condemn all acts of terror. That’s what I want you to say; you’re being translated into five languages. You can say it right now: ‘We condemn all acts of terror.’
Danny Danon, Permanent Representative of Israel to the UN, addresses the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question. Seated behind him are Natan and Renana Meir, the widower and daughter of Dafna Meir. A Palestinian terrorist stabbed her to death. (UN photo by Evan Schneider)
“It is time for the Palestinian leadership to end their silence and to start acting as leaders,” Danon said, returning to his script.
Passionately, he continued, “You cannot condemn terrorism. You cannot say it here: ‘I condemn all acts of terror.’ You cannot say it here. People are looking at you. Palestinian children are looking at you right now, and you cannot say ‘I condemn all acts of terrorism.’ One sentence you cannot say. One sentence you cannot say. Shame on you for that. Shame on you for not being able to say…” he said, trailing off and shaking his head.
“Let my people be free. Shame on you,” Mansour said, pointing at Danon. “You are occupier. You are organizer[?]. Leave us alone.”
Riyad H. Mansour, Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the UN, addresses the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question. (UN Photo by Manuel Elias)
Mansour’s position is clear: for the Palestinian leadership, attacks and murders of Israelis and Jews are “legitimate ways … to resist the ‘occupation.” This includes the stabbing and murder in January of 38-year-old Meir, a mother of six.
In response to the press statement, Danon said, “Any comparison between the Nazi regime and the democratic State of Israel is despicable and must be condemned by the international community.”
Mansour also announced at his press conference that the Council will be conducting an informal meeting on “protection for Palestinians.”
Likewise, PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas has previously called for international protection for the Palestinians. From what or whom, the leaders do not say. They imply, however, that Israel is a threat, portraying themselves as victims despite their incitement to terror.
“The Palestinians are continuing to lie to the world and turn to the international community with ridiculous claims instead of focusing their efforts on fighting terror and incitement,” Danon said on Wednesday.
