Israeli envoy calls for Passover cleaning to rid UN of anti-Israel bias

Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon called for a "spring cleaning" of sorts at the U.N. to rid the world body of its anti-Israel bias. Speaking at an event in honor of U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley and attended by local Jewish community leaders at his home on Thursday, Danon said, "Ahead of Passover, we clean our homes of leavened foods -- and now is the time to give the U.N. a thorough cleaning and rid it of its anti-Israel obsession.

"You have brought a new spirit of justice and truth to the U.N.," Danon told Haley, "the state of Israel thanks you and appreciates that you stand firmly with us. We have no stronger ally than the United States, and I am confident that together we can bring far-reaching change in the name of our common values."

Last week, the U.N. General Assembly hosted a conference dedicated to the fight against the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement. Over 2,000 people attended the event, at which Haley gave an impassioned speech in support of Israel.

Danon, who initiated the first such conference last year, told Israel Hayom that "legislation against the boycott has gained traction around the United States, and governments and leaders are finally recognizing the BDS movement as pure anti-Semitism. On university campuses, change is in the air. Students today have the tools, the energy and the pride to fight. They know they are not alone. Also in the Jewish-American community, there are organizations that do not [normally] communicate with one another, but in the name of this battle, they are prepared to work together under our umbrella. That is very significant.

"I am not saying we have defeated the boycott movement," Danon said, sounding cautiously optimistic, "but it is no longer the only player in the arena." He noted there are now "organizations, events, activities and [web]sites" working against the movement.

"We have succeeded, together with the Americans, in pushing back the publication of the 'blacklist' the U.N. Human Rights Council is putting together and that is supposed to include anyone who does business with businesses in Jerusalem, the Golan [Heights] and the West Bank, but the [report's] publication is coming."

The list, an initiative prompted by the BDS movement, reportedly aims to bar the presence of any Israeli company beyond the Green Line. If adopted, the list could deem even private security firms protecting Israelis in Judea and Samaria from terrorist organizations, as illegal.

According to Danon, "The atmosphere at the U.N. is changing. We saw this after the report accusing Israel of apartheid against the Palestinians. I met with Ambassador Haley, and she immediately released a statement saying this was a fraudulent report, and it was shelved. The style is different and direct, and that's a good thing."

"There is a greater chance of implementing Israel's policies in the organization," Danon said, "but there will be more reports and draft resolutions against Israel. The organization has been hijacked by forces of evil, and is investing its energy in the wrong place -- but the fact that there are representatives from all over the world who can speak [together] and solve conflicts, that is significant. I speak here with ambassadors from countries with whom we do not have relations, and that is a very significant thing."

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