Israeli Ambassador Danon: U.N. Resolution on Jerusalem will 'end up in the trash bin of history'

The U.N. General Assembly held an "emergency session" on December 21, 2017 regarding President Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The meeting, on "Illegal Israeli actions in Occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory," was requested by Yemen on behalf of the Arab Group, Turkey on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and Venezuela on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement. At the meeting, Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon condemned the U.N. for attempting to rewrite history and deny the fact that Jerusalem is the historic capital of the Jewish people and the State of Israel.

In his words:

"It is shameful for the United Nations that I must stand before you today. It is shameful that this meeting is even taking place.

Jerusalem is the holiest place on earth for the Jewish people. It is the capital of the State of Israel.

Period. It is a fact that simply cannot be disputed.

King David declared Jerusalem the city ofthe Jewish people 3000 years ago. The Jewish bible mentions Jerusalem 660 times. Our prayers recall Jerusalem's holy name over and over again.

As our first Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion, said Jerusalem is, and I quote, 'an inseparable part of the history of Israel, ofthe faith of Israel.'...

Our bond to Jerusalem is unbreakable. It's been that way since ancient times. Whether its declarations by UNESCO, empty speeches in committees or resolutions of the General Assembly, no UN vote will ever drive us from Jerusalem.

These are the facts this body does not want to hear. These are the truths this body wishes to ignore. So today, I will tell you about another unbreakable bond: the unbreakable bond of hypocrisy between the Palestinians and the United Nations.

Some have cautioned that the United States' decision is one-sided and harmful to peace. The opposite is true. It is the one-sided steps of the Palestinians and the UN that have pushed away peace for years. With every anti-Israel resolution, with every attack on my people, the UN has perfected its double standard.

We are now sitting in an open emergency session of the General Assembly on this very topic.

This session has been open since 1997. It is the only open emergency session of the General Assembly.

We live in a world that is full of conflict and war.

But only when it comes to Israel, the one true democracy in the Middle East, does this Assembly remain in a constant open session. It is truly absurd...

I thank those brave countries that do not support this resolution. You are the defenders of peace.

You are the leaders who prove that no UN resolution can rewrite history.

Because when a UN resolution designates East Jerusalem as illegal for Israel, in reality, it is designating the Western Wall, the foundation of our holiest site, as illegal for the Jewish people...

In every other scenario, this body preaches human rights and peace. But when it comes to Israel, you stop caring about human rights and peace. In fact, you completely ignore the horrific acts of terror that threaten Israeli citizens.

These past 2 weeks alone have seen 23 rocket attacks by Hamas into Israel. We heard nothing from the UN. The PA threatened violence and a day of rage. But the UN had no condemnation...

Let me be clear: violence and terror must never be tolerated. If this body were really united for peace, it would pass a resolution condemning Palestinian violence.

When the United Nations adopts a resolution as absurd as this, it does more than eliminate peace.

It welcomes hypocrisy...

42 years ago, this body adopted a different shameful resolution. It equated Zionism with racism.

It took 16 long years for that hateful resolution to be revoked.

I have no doubt that today's resolution will also end up in the trash bin of history..."