Israel’s permanent representative to the United Nations on Monday criticized the organization over what he said was an attempt to "erase the Jewish history".
Gilad Erdan slammed the UN for commemorating the voting anniversary of the 1947 partition plan with an event held in solidarity with the Palestinians.
“The UN is erasing Jewish history, and distorting the truth,” Erdan said.
The plan, known as Resolution 181, called to partition the area of British Mandatory Palestine into two states - one Jewish and one Arab. In 1947, the UN General Assembly approved the resolution, which was accepted by the mandate’s Jewish population, but rejected by the Arabs.
“Israel accepted this partition plan... the Palestinians and the Arab countries rejected it and tried to destroy us,” Erdan said in a video message marking the occasion on his Twitter page.
“They also persecuted, massacred, and ultimately expelled the Jewish communities in their own countries. Shockingly, this atrocity is completely… ignored by the UN.”
Erdan is partnering with the World Jewish Congress for a campaign to promote the stories of these refugees, with trucks broadcasting messages around New York reading “Don't erase Jewish history.”
He denounced the international body for holding a solidarity event “on the anniversary of the Palestinians’ own decision to choose violence.”
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Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh during cabinet meeting held in Nablus on UN International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian, Monday
(Photo: EPA)
Erdan also criticized the UN for promoting a Palestinian “right of return,” a demand for the millions of Palestinian refugees and their descendants to come back to their ancestors’ lands in what is now modern day Israel.