Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Dan Gillerman spoke to the UN General Assembly on Thursday, the anniversary of the 1947 UN decision to create two states in British Mandatory Palestine and the UN’s “Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.”  Gillerman insisted that despite Arab states’ mourning, the day should be one of celebration.  “On this date, the world got a gift: a state which contributes to humanity more than all the countries in the UN that mourn on this day.”

Gillerman called on the UN to move forward and to replace “the spirit that currently blows through the halls, that brings hatred and eternalized the past” with “the spirit of Annapolis.”  Arabs could have had a state called “Palestine” 60 years ago, he pointed out.  He told the delegates to “look what Israel has accomplished...and where those who tried to destroy us and who continue to try to destroy us are today,” and called on them to build “a coalition in favor of peace and against violence and extremism.”