Vladimir Ivanovich Voronkov with Gilad Erdan
Vladimir Ivanovich Voronkov with Gilad ErdanSpokesperson

Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan (Likud) on Wednesday met United Nations (UN) Under-Secretary for the Counter-Terrorism Office Vladimir Ivanovich Voronkov.

Voronkov is currently visiting Israel to learn about Israel's counterterror abilities and to deepen the office's cooperation with Israel on the issues of security, preventing terror funding, aiding terror victims, and handling extremism.

During their meeting, the two discussed the battle against incitement on social media, how terrorists are defined, and making inciting organizations illegal.

"When UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon Ján Kubiš met the deputy leader of the Hezbollah terror organization, which is recognized as a terror organization by a large portion of the world's countries, and then tweets that he is 'incredibly grateful for the meeting,' that grants terror legitimacy and contradicts the important message that we are working together and fighting a war on terror," Erdan said.

"The UN needs to stop promoting and funding organizations which boycott Israel and which have connections to terror organizations. We have exposed over 100 connections between BDS and terror organizations, and we need to ensure that the UN is not aiding these organizations."

Erdan also noted that in order to successfully manage terror, it is first necessary to successfully manage incitement to terror, such as that of the Palestinian Authority, which teaches children that murdering Jews is the most honorable way to die, and pays terrorists' families.

"Glorifying terrorists and spreading hatred and incitement to terror are the main causes of terror attacks," he emphasized.

He also offered to hold training sections for the relevant intelligence, security, and counterterrorism officials, as well as to host an international forum of public security ministers in cooperation with the UN.

"We are happy to place Israel's experience and knowledge in fighting terrorism - especially lone-wolf terror, incitement to terror, online violence, and handling extremism and prison strikes - at the service of the UN," he said.