Danny Danon
Danny DanonIsraeli Mission to the UN

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon held a media stakeout Monday afternoon to mark the first anniversary of the October 7 massacre.

"October 7 wasn't just another dark day in Jewish history, it was our worst nightmare realized," Danon began. "Hamas terrorists invaded our communities in order to massacre, rape, and kidnap our brothers and sisters. They showed no mercy, slaughtering men, women, and children, ripping apart families, and destroying entire communities."

He noted that the Israeli mission would be holding a memorial for the massacre victims at 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

Danon called the UN "an institution that has failed us time and time again. When the massacre of October 7 unfolded, the UN refused to act. It couldn't find the most basic morality to condemn - one condemnation of the brutal murder of innocent civilians. It could not bring itself to call out the atrocities for what they were."

"Instead of standing with the innocent, this institution remained silent," Danon said. "When it finally found its voice, it did not speak for justice. It chose to vilify us, the country fighting to protect its people from the monsters who massacred us."

"The UN has failed in its most basic mandate to protect the innocent and condemn evil," he stated.

He noted that a ballistic missile was launched from Yemen at central Israel and conveyed a message to Iran and its proxies: "We will decide when and where, but there will be a response ... We will ensure that all those who seek to destroy us will pay the price for their actions."