Palestinian factions and institutions condemned the appointment of the representative of the Israeli occupation to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, as Vice-President of the General Assembly.
The Democratic Front said in its statement that the appointment of Erdan is “a dangerous precedent in the history of the organization and a blow to the system of values, justice, and international and humanitarian law.”
It added that this step “would not have happened without the policy of international double standards, which constitute a coup against the international system, and a reward for the Israeli criminals in justifying their aggression against our people instead of holding them accountable.”
“International organizations, including the United Nations, the Human Rights Council, friendly countries and the free people of the world, should refuse to appoint the criminal Erdan to this advanced position and take bold steps to prevent Israeli criminals from accessing sensitive sites in the international system, and to ensure that Israel does not go unpunished for its crimes against our people,” it stressed.
In this context, Hamas considered the decision “a provocation to the feelings of our people and to those who love peace and justice in the world.”
The movement said in a press release that it constitutes “an insult to the international system, which bears the responsibility of ending the occupation in Palestine, and holding its leaders accountable for the crimes and terrorism they committed against the Palestinian people and the peoples of the Arab region.”
It called on “the United Nations and friendly countries that support peoples’ freedom and right to self-determination, to work to change this shameful decision, protect human rights, and prevent war criminals from impunity and accountability before international courts.”
Moreover, the Popular Front stressed that the decision represented “a black day in the history of the United Nations, and constitutes a blow to the values on which its charter was founded.”
It said that “it gives the Zionist entity an expanding position from the area of impunity of its leaders from international accountability and punishment, and it is clear evidence of the influence of the Zionist lobby on the centers of power and influence in this world.”
“The appointment of the Zionist criminal Erdan exposes the policy of double standards of the United Nations”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the decision comes to “legitimize the colonial occupation regime on the land of the State of Palestine,” and stressed that it “is an attempt to normalize crime and impunity in the international system.”
Erdan’s election was preceded by the release of a report by the United Nations Human Rights Council asserting that Israel “has no intention of ending the occupation” and seeks “full control” of what is occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem.
The same report Erdan shredded to pieces while standing on the for holding Israel accountable for the injustices imposed on Palestine especially Gazans during its assault in May 2021. He called the report baseless, possessive, and anti-Israel.
Today, I addressed the @UN General Assembly and spoke out against the baseless, one-sided, and outright false accusations from the Human Rights Council's annual report. 1/8 pic.twitter.com/b4YIv2jGaK
— Ambassador Gilad Erdan גלעד ארדן (@giladerdan1) October 29, 2021
of course, having Erdan as a vice president is unsettling for now Israel isn’t warden, jury, and jailor only locally but also internationally leaving Palestinians even more terrified for their future and fearful of added impunity to the Israeli occupation and its conduct
