Russia denounced Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights at a meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday, hours before it launched its invasion of Ukraine.
“We are concerned over Tel Aviv’s announced plans for expanding settlement activity in the occupied Golan Heights, which directly contradicts the provisions of the 1949 Geneva Convention,” said Russia’s United Nations envoy Dmitry Polyanskiy in a statement. “Russia doesn’t recognize Israel’s sovereignty over Golan Heights that are part of Syria.”
These were Russia’s first comments about Israel in the hours since the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement voicing support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity on Wednesday, without mentioning Russia by name, in what was seen as an effort not to anger Moscow which has allowed Israel to operate with a large degree of freedom in its attacks on Iranian targets in Syria.The Security Council meeting came despite the fact that most of the international community’s attention was focused on the opposite end of the building, as the body’s General Assembly took up the Ukraine/Russia crisis.
Meanwhile, at the Security Council meeting, the Palestinian Authority ambassador to the U.N. Riyad Mansour used the occasion to slam Israel, notably wearing a mask printed with the words “End Apartheid.”
Mansour made sure to utter “apartheid” at every opportunity, attempting to capitalize on any anti-Israel momentum generated by a recent Amnesty International report which labeled Israel’s treatment of Arabs, both within the disputed territories and Israel proper. It is a claim, as Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Gilad Erdan noted on Wednesday, that no one has taken up outside of the P.A. and designated terrorist groups.
“You can see the campaign that started here today on the mask of my counterpart. But make no mistake, this is a joint campaign between these organizations and the Palestinians with the mission of delegitimizing Israel as a Jewish democratic state,” said Erdan, adding, “Can anyone honestly look me in the eye and tell me that Israel, a country that protects the social and political equality of all of its citizens, is guilty of systematic injustice? A country in which Arab doctors, Arab members of parliament and Arab ministers serve alongside their Jewish counterparts. “
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