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Is the UN Still Relevant?

(Jerusalem Post) Israeli UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan - I was determined to begin my tour of duty as Israel's permanent representative to the UN with an open mind. One of the first issues that arose upon my arrival in New York was the U.S. effort to reinstate international sanctions on the world's number-one state sponsor of terrorism, Iran. As the global organization dedicated to safeguarding peace and security, one would think the UN would be eager to apply maximum pressure to roll back Iran's terrorist network and nuclear ambitions. Regrettably, however, Security Council members spent most of the past month parsing the Iran nuclear deal's fine print in order to find excuses why not to reinstate sanctions, the majority working diligently to shield Tehran from censure. I could receive no clearer lesson on the perverse disconnect between the high ideals of the UN Charter and the cold reality of its implementation today. I would have expected the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords between Israel and the UAE and Bahrain to be a central theme at the UN General Assembly since it was the very embodiment of the lofty ideals touted in the charter. But when the secretary-general recognized progress made toward peace in Sudan, Afghanistan and elsewhere, he did not even mention this historic event. If the UN is unable to acknowledge and embrace peace, recognize Hizbullah as a terrorist organization, or even halt the malign actions of the most dangerous regime on the planet today, how can we expect it to be capable of any bold action tomorrow?
2020-10-08 00:00:00
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