Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon delivered a forceful address at The Jerusalem Post Conference in New York City on Monday, rejecting international calls to halt Israel’s war against Hamas and accusing the United Nations of moral failure in its response to October 7.
Responding to recent moves by the United Kingdom, France and Canada to consider sanctions on Israel if it continues military operations in Gaza, Danon declared defiantly:
“These countries threatened Israel that if we will not stop the war, they will apply sanctions against us. I have news for those distinguished leaders who signed this declaration – we will not stop the war! We will not stop the war and leave behind 58 hostages. We will not stop the war and leave Hamas in power. They should understand it and support us.”
Danon’s remarks were met with applause as he directly addressed hostage families seated in the rear of the venue:
“We are committed to you and we will not stop until we bring your boys home! That is a guarantee!”
Danon comments on UN's Martin Griffiths, UNRWA activities
The ambassador also condemned statements made last week by UN Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths – whom Danon incorrectly referred to as Tom Fletcher – who had accused Israel of genocide in Gaza.
“Last week in the UN Security Council, a senior UN official, Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Aid Tom Fletcher, blamed us for committing genocide. This isn’t the ambassador from Syria or Libya – we are used to hearing that from them – but this is a UN official,” Danon said.
“My message to him was very clear: We will not cooperate with him until he retracts his words and apologises. It is shameful that a UN official is accusing Israel of committing genocide,” he added, to strong applause from the crowd.
Danon reserved some of his harshest criticism for UNRWA, the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees.
“We all agree that UNRWA failed,” Danon said. “Ayelet Samerano marched with us yesterday on Fifth Avenue. Her son, Yonatan, was kidnapped by an UNRWA employee. This terrorist entered the kibbutz, kidnapped Yonatan Samerano’s body to Gaza, and when he got home, he received a paycheck from UNRWA.”
“We passed very important legislation in Israel to prove to the world that we can move on without UNRWA,” he said. “But look what is happening even in the last week. The US is offering a new mechanism for supporting humanitarian efforts in Gaza and the United Nations Secretary-General Guterres says they won’t cooperate with them. How can you explain that? Do they really care about the people in Gaza?”
Despite the diplomatic hostility Israel faces at the UN, Danon said not all hope is lost.
“Looking at the numbers, we cannot win at the United Nations,” he admitted. “But I believe in the moral majority and don’t believe the headlines. We have a strong bond with the United States. We get the support of the US every day at the Security Council. And we have other friends – President Milei of Argentina is a great friend and we have strong support from Eastern European countries.”
Danon also highlighted a recent visit to Israel with 30 UN ambassadors.
“First we went to Auschwitz and March of the Living, and then to Israel where we visited communities in the South, and I felt that they understood better what we are facing. Not everybody is against us.”
Closing his address, Danon stressed the priority of military victory over international approval.
“When I speak with my colleagues in Jerusalem I tell them, do whatever is necessary to win the war. Ignore the UN. I will handle the Security Council. I will handle the General Assembly, but you take the right decisions that you have to take.”
“For Israel, after October 7, the high ground is more important than the moral ground. We want both always, but if we have to choose whether our soldiers will win the war or we get claps at the UN, I prefer to win the war.”