Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the United Nations headquarters in New York on Thursday, where he met U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley and toured an exhibit about the Jewish people's connection to Jerusalem.
"I wanted to tell you how much we appreciate the defense of Israel and the truth that the president [U.S. President Donald Trump] and you bring into these cloistered halls that are so damp, you know, with anti-Israel venom," Netanyahu told Haley.
"It's not just a breath of fresh air; it's like a tsunami of fresh air."
In response, Haley derided the anti-Israel bias in the U.N., saying "It's amazing. I mean, really, it was just abusive before, and I think I've told you that before. I mean, I feel bad for Danny [Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Danny Danon] and what he's had to put up with. It was abusive before."
"But it's actually starting to get a little bit better," she continued. "I mean, they don't want to get yelled at, right? So they just realized that."
Chuckling, Netanyahu responded by saying "so continue yelling," to which Haley replied "it's what I do."
Netanyahu and Haley then discussed the threat posed by Iran.
Netanyahu also criticized an inflammatory sign placed outside the U.N. exhibition, curated by Danon together with Jerusalem Affairs Minister Zeev Elkin and featuring photographs and archeological artifacts linking the people of Israel to Jerusalem. The sign contained the disclaimer that "The content of this exhibit is solely the responsibility of the sponsors. The holding of the exhibit in U.N. premises does not imply endorsement by the United Nations. Please direct any queries to the organizers."
"Obviously the exhibit doesn't represent the U.N.," Netanyahu said with contempt. "It represents the truth. No sign will erase the history of Israel, or of Jerusalem, and the link between Israel and Jerusalem."
Elkin added: "The incessant attacks in the international arena on Israel's position regarding the status of Jerusalem obligate us to be proactive. We, the Jerusalem Affairs Ministry and Foreign Ministry, plan to implement a comprehensive plan this year for the defense of Jerusalem, and this exhibit is a part of that."
"Anyone who tries to dispute the 3,000-year-old Jewish history can look at the artifacts, which physically prove the biblical story," he added.
