Danon defeats UN ban on Israel exhibit - Uzi Baruch

by Uzi Baruch

Ambassador hails 'a clear victory for Israeli truth,' as UN folds on censoring Zionist exhibit on Jewish connection to Jerusalem.

Danny Danon with the exhibit

Perry Bindelglass

Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon's campaign to lift the ban on an Israeli exhibit has paid off, as after initially blocking the exhibit and later partially allowing it in April, the UN has now folded, allowing it to be shown in its entirety at UN headquarters in New York.

The exhibit, a joint initiative by the Israeli Mission to the UN and pro-Israel non-profit StandWithUs, presents information about Zionism, Jerusalem and Arab Israelis. It notes that "Zionism is the liberation movement of the Jewish people, who sought to overcome 1,900 years of oppression and regain self-determination in their indigenous homeland."

Danon held a protest when the exhibit was censored in early April, and hours later the UN abruptly reversed course, giving the okay for the display on Zionism – but not the displays on the Jewish people's historic connection to Jerusalem and Israel’s treatment of minority populations.

The Israeli Mission continued its diplomatic struggle for the last two months, and this week the display was finally presented in its entirety, including the sections the UN had sought to censor.

"We stood firm that the exhibit on Jerusalem, the eternal capital of the state of Israel, be displayed at the UN," said Danon. "It is not possible to censor a significant part of the history and the values of the Jewish nation."

The exhibit was displayed at the UN headquarters in New York, visible to diplomats from around the world as well as visitors to the building.

"I am very proud that we stood our ground and achieved a clear victory for the Israeli truth. The days are over when they will try to censor our heritage and demand that we hide the special place of Jerusalem in the history of the Jewish nation and the state of Israel," added Danon.

The exhibits that had been censored can be seen below.

Courtesy: Israeli Mission to the UN


Uzi Baruch

Source: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/212596#.V0DPsuSzdds

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