Venezuelan UN Ambassador equates Israeli actions to 'final solution'
Following a presentation on law enforcement of Jewish radicals who attack West-Bank Palestinians at the UN, the Venezuelan ambassador accused Israel of carrying out 'final solution' for Palestinians
Venezuelan Ambassador to the UN Rafael Ramirez accused Israel of implementing a "final solution" against the Palestinians in the UN Security Council on Friday.
"Is Israel trying to impose a 'final solution' on the Palestinians in the West Bank?" Ramirez asked at the Security Council meeting.
Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon immediately condemned the statement, and Ramirez apologized to "the Jewish people, if they were offended by my statement."
The declaration occurred while the Yesh Din organization was presenting statistics pertaining to law enforcement as it relates to crimes of an ideological nature carried out by Israeli citizens against Palestinians, and the effects of the lack of law enforcement on the Palestinians who live in the West Bank to the UN Security Council.
Yesh Din representative Michael Sfard also presented the organization's assertion that the violence carried out against Palestinians is designed to drive them off of their land.
The Venezuelan ambassador asked, "What is Israel planning to do with the Palestinians? Do the Israelis want the Palestinians to disappear? Is Israel preparing a 'final solution' for the Palestinians similar to what was done to them?"
Sfarad condemned the Venezuelan ambassador's statements.
Israeli Ambassador Danon responded harshly to Ramirez's statements, "These are blunt anti-Semitic statements coming from the Venezuelan ambassador towards the Jewish nation. The ambassador's statements are a continuation of the Palestinian representative's statements which equated Israel to the Nazis only a few days ago. The Palestinians are bringing anti-Semitism to the UN and are bringing the language of racism to the world parliament."
The Israeli UN delegation immediately turned to the members of the UN Security Council bodies to condemn these strong statements. The US, Britain, and France decisively condemned the Venezuelan ambassador's statements.
