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UN reports are antisemitic, not credible, says settler leader

The U.N. is quick to condemn alleged violence at the hands of Jews, but reticent to call out proven violent attacks perpetrated by Palestinians, said Dagan.

By Lauren Marcus, World Israel News

Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan penned an explosive letter to the U.N. on Wednesday, calling out what he says is blatant antisemitic bias in the organization’s reports on violence and unrest in Judea and Samaria.

Dagan’s letter came on the heels of a speech by U.N. envoy to the Middle East, Tor Wennesland, who claimed that Israeli settlers recently kidnapped and tortured a Palestinian boy, allegedly burning him.

Brutal attack…or not what it seems?

“I am deeply concerned by this heinous act and I expect the Israeli authorities to undertake a swift, thorough and transparent investigation and ensure that the perpetrators are held accountable,” Wennesland said while speaking to the U.N. Security Council, adding that he was “appalled that children continue to be victims of violence.”

“As head of the local council in which the incident took place, I immediately checked your allegations as soon as they reached me, even though you did not contact my office before rushing to the Security Council,” Dagan wrote Wennesland.

Dagan wrote that the teen in question had actually been part of a group of youth throwing rocks at local residents, and refuted the claims that he had been held against his will or physically harmed by the settlers.

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“The terrorist you call a boy tried to murder Jews in cold blood just because they are religious Jews studying Torah. Also, the Israeli authorities found no evidence that the adolescent who was a member of the stone-throwing gang was ‘kidnapped’ or ‘attacked,’” he wrote.

“A medical report on the incident did find any evidence that the minor was ‘burned’ by anyone. The examination clearly shows that his injury was caused by trying to escape when the Israelis under attack tried to…hand him over to the security forces.”

A double standard

Dagan argued that Wennesland was quick to condemn alleged violence at the hands of Jews, but reticent to call out proven violent attacks perpetrated by Palestinians.

“Antisemitic phrasing is reflected in the use you make of the term ‘heinous’ in your speech when you describe alleged violence perpetrated by Jews, unprovoked violence. But on the other hand, you do not express yourself in this way about documented and proven murders committed against Jews,” Dagan noted.

“I expect you and all those involved in the U.N. Security Council to promptly amend the report, and to ensure that your reports are credible and not tainted with anti-Semitism as you did in this case.”

A pattern of bias

The accusations set forth by Wennesland to the Security Council are just another example of U.N. bias against Israel, Maor Tzemach, chairman of NGO Your Jerusalem, told World Israel News.

He brought up a recent incident in which Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Gilad Erdan was not allowed to present materials proving that an UNRWA teacher was actively promoting hateful views towards Jews.

“The U.N. is one of the most antisemitic organizations in the world,” Tzemach told WIN.

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“The remarks by U.N. Middle East envoy Tor Wennesland come after shameful actions [from the U.N.] in which they prevented Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Gilad Erdan from submitting evidence proving that a UNRWA teacher expressed antisemitic views praising Hitler…the U.N. stopped [Erdan] from doing that.”

“I congratulate Ambassador Erdan, who is watching out for us, and Mr. Dagan who is demanding an apology from the U.N. envoy and the U.N. itself.”

“The U.N. must understand that Israel will stand up for itself and for its dignity!”