Arguably, as Israel fights a growing international effort to delegitimize the Jewish state, one might say the United Nations plays a significant role in the delegitimization effort.

The United Nations on Monday, 21 Sivan decided to leave both Israel and Hamas off of its blacklist of nations and armed organizations that violate children’s rights during conflict. This decision was made despite recommendations from both sides against the other. Amazingly, despite endless documentation of Hamas using children as human shields and training children in hand-to-hand combat, the UN sees fit to address Israel and Hamas as equals.

UN Special Envoy for Children & Armed Conflict Leila Zerrougui included Israel and Hamas in a draft of the report sent to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The UN leader had final say regarding the blacklist. The UN leader did however sharply criticize Israel over Operation Protective Edge in the summer of 2014. The UN leader spoke of the IDF’s “excessive use of force” during the operation.

Responding to the decision, Israel Ambassador to the United Nations Ron Prosor said the UN leader “was right not to submit to the dictates of the terrorist organizations and the Arab states” as they called to include Israel on the blacklist.

In response, Israel’s Foreign Ministry released the following statement:

The State of Israel should never have been included in the UN Secretary General’s List of Shame, and it is therefore only natural and logical that it is not included in it.

The State of Israel acted to protect its citizens from attacks by a murderous terror organization, which has no qualms about placing Palestinian civilians, including children, in the firing line. This organization, Hamas, did not hesitate to use children as human shields and to sacrifice their lives on the altar of hatred against Israel.

On the other hand, Israel did everything in its power to avoid civilian casualties. This is our moral duty, and that is how we operate, out of a sense of deep commitment.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)