Israel's outgoing Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Gillerman, gave his last speech Tuesday to the U.N. Security Council. Referring to Jerusalem's second tractor terror attack in three weeks, which occurred just hours before his speech, he said that when the first tractor attack occurred, people said the driver was "a madman." It now is clear, he added, that the problem was not a solitary madman but rather "a phenomenon."

Gillerman had prepared a written speech but told the ambassadors that he decided to "speak from his heart" instead.

"This is most probably my last appearance before you as the representative of the State of Israel," he said. "I would like to thank each and every one of you for the time you have spent on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and our problems."  He emphasized that "whatever happens, whatever you discuss, whatever transpires – Is

"You will not understand the essence of Israel until you feel it and smell it."

rael will prevail."

Most of the Horror is Within Islam

Gillerman went on to say that the world was not dealing with a clash of civilizations, but rather with a "clash of civilization, in the singular" - within Islam. "Most of the horror, most of the bloodshed, most of the killings, and most of the violence… is sadly and tragically within Islam," he said. Not only are the majority of terrorists Muslim, he noted, but also the majority of terror victims around the world.

The Ambassador said he was most concerned about the "eerie silence of the Muslim world" in the face of terrorism, and expressed his hope to see a Muslim leader emerge who would say "enough is enough, what are we doing?"

"I hope very much that the Arab and Muslim world will realize that it is its duty and responsibility today, in that very clash, to support the moderates and isolate the extremists," he added.

'Imagine...'

Gillerman extended an invitation to all those present to visit Israel.

"You will see a country which is very different from the perception you get on TV, where you see a country torn by violence and bloodshed… You will discover a vibrant county, of great excellence and innovation, in making the desert bloom, in agriculture, science and medicine," he said. "You will see a country which is contributing each and every day to mankind and to humanity, not just to itself and to the Jewish people, and making the world a better place."

"You will not understand the essence of Israel until you feel it and smell it," he said.

He asked his colleagues to "imagine, for one moment, what it is like to be an Israeli."

Boarding a Bus with Fear

He asked them to picture "a grandfather like me who sometimes goes to the kindergarten to pick

"Sitting in a coffee house in Paris, Moscow and New York, costs a few dollars. Sitting in a coffee house in Jerusalem could cost many lives."

 up my granddaughter and whose heart breaks when he sees an armed guard at the entrance to the kindergarten."

"Imagine what it is like," he said, "to board a bus and look to the side in fear, or to sit in a coffee shop in Jerusalem. Sitting in a coffee house in Paris, Moscow and New York, costs a few dollars. Sitting in a coffee house in Jerusalem could cost many lives," he said.

Gillerman asked those present to "imagine a bulldozer driving down Fifth Avenue or the Champs Elysees and crushing cars... I have been here for almost six years. Occasionally I have been accused of over-reaction and dramatization. If you visit Israel or just imagine what happens in it, you will understand. When you speak about the situation in the Middle East, you will think about what we deal with every single day."