Ambassador Gilad Erdan told the United Nations General Assembly that Israel had protected the Al-Aqsa Mosque, a holy site for Muslims in Jerusalem, from Hamas.
Sharing his speech on X on Saturday evening, Erdan wrote, “Israel is defending Al-Aqsa Mosque from Hamas missiles‼️
"Just as ISIS destroyed mosques, Hamas-ISIS is willing to blow up Al-Aqsa. For Hamas, murdering Israelis is more important than Islamic holy sites. This is what I said today in the UN General Assembly as I showed the Iron Dome interception of a Hamas missile fired towards the Temple Mount. These are the terrorists that the UN has chosen to protect. Unbelievable‼️”
Israel is defending Al-Aqsa Mosque from Hamas missiles‼️Just as ISIS destroyed mosques, Hamas-ISIS is willing to blow up Al-Aqsa. For Hamas, murdering Israelis is more important than Islamic holy sites. This is what I said today in the UN General Assembly as I showed the Iron… pic.twitter.com/QNuZ44i7UN
— Ambassador Gilad Erdan גלעד ארדן (@giladerdan1) December 15, 2023
The comments were made after Hamas had indiscriminately launched rockets towards civilian populations in Jerusalem and other parts of Israel.
The impassioned speech began with Erdan stating “Today, Hamas proved that murdering Israelis is even more important than preserving the Islamic holy sites they claim to protect.”
Erdan went on to play a video of sirens blaring in Jerusalem. He stated that the rockets had been fired towards the Temple Mount, a holy site for Abrahamic religions located under the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
“Israel’s Iron Dome intercepted the missile,” Erdan informed the UN, “it defended Al-Aqsa Mosque from Hamas….Israel is defending Al-Aqsa Mosque from Hamas.”
He went on to address the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. He asked the groups, “This is who you have chosen to defend? A group of genocidal terrorists that prefer jihad at any cost over holy sites?
“Just as ISIS destroyed mosques, Hamas-ISIS is willing to blow up Al-Aqsa.
“So many of you are willing to defend them, unbelievable.”
Hamas’s crimes against Arabs
While Hamas has claimed to be an Islamic organization, their October 7 attack also involved the killing and kidnapping of Arabs, Palestinians and Bedouins.
Bedouin siblings Belal and AIsha Zaidna were taken hostage by Hamas and released two weeks ago. The location of their father and sibling remains unknown.
Amir Tanabura, a Palestinian man from Gaza who was living in Israel, had also been killed by Hamas terrorists on October 7. The 20-year-old Arabic speaker had been buying cigarettes when terrorists shot him.