Ambassador Erdan with the UN Secretary-General
Ambassador Erdan with the UN Secretary-GeneralUN spokesperson

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations has told the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, that he intends to introduce a proposal to the Assembly that will obligate the holding of an annual debate regarding the establishment of a day of commemoration of Jewish refugees from Arab states.

In Israel, this Tuesday has already been designated a special day to remember the expulsion of Jews from Arab states and from Iran, and Erdan is now demanding that the UN officially mark the day as well, with events that highlight the heritage of Jews from these countries.

Erdan has also requested that the UN conduct global research on the expulsion of Jews from Middle Eastern countries and that the subject be discussed in various relevant UN forums.

“The decision to establish a Jewish state was one of the most significant ever taken by the United Nations,” Erdan wrote to Guterres. “The Arabs chose to reject the decision and to attack the state of Israel as well as the Jewish communities still dwelling among them.

“Today, the UN continues to focus intently on the issue of ‘Palestinian refugees,’” he continued, “and yet the expulsion of Jews from Arab lands is never mentioned. It is outrageous that the UN sets aside a special day for ‘Palestinian refugees’ and devotes so many resources to the issue, while hundreds of thousands of Jews expelled from Arab lands and from Iran are ignored.”

He concluded his request to Guterres with an appeal “to re-examine the UN’s approach to this issue, and to begin to share the story of 850,000 Jewish refugees in all UN forums. This historic injustice should be addressed, and only then will the UN be able to claim that it is truly fulfilling its goals as stated in its own charter.”