The gathering seeks to forge bridges of connection and trust linking Israel with Diaspora Jewry, businesses with the US administration, and classical Zionism with the emerging landscape of technology, economics, and global communications. The summit will spotlight the period's central questions – how to build the day after the war, what role the American Jewry plays in shaping Israel's future, and how to preserve mutual responsibility and shared values connecting the Jewish people across the ocean.

The summit comes at a dramatic moment. Israel has been recovering from its longest war in history, while the American Jewish community confronts a rising wave of antisemitism and a New York mayoral election where an anti-Israel candidate leads in polls. Against this backdrop, New York – home to the world's largest Jewish community outside Israel – will transform for one day into an extraordinary gathering place for leaders, entrepreneurs, intellectuals, and diplomats.

Among the many prominent figures participating in the New York summit are Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon, former Ambassador David Friedman, former Ambassador Gilad Erdan, Israel's Ambassador to the US Rabbi Dr. Yechiel Leiter, the parents of fallen hostage Omer Neutra, the parents of returned hostage Edan Alexander, Senator John Fetterman, philanthropist Sylvan Adams, Strauss Group Chairwoman Ofra Strauss, businessman and entrepreneur Adam Neumann, Rashi Foundation Chairmain Shaul Shani, philanthropist and businessman Michael Eisenberg, HaShomer HaChadash CEO Yoel Zilberman, Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli, Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, Masa Israel Journey CEO Meir Holtz, Rabbi Ari Berman, Elan Carr, and additional senior guests from the worlds of policy, academia, high-tech, and the Jewish community.

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Israel's permanent representative to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, criticized the body on Monday for commemorating the voting anniversary of the 1947 partition plan with an event held in solidarity with the Palestinians.

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The plan, known as Resolution 181, called to partition the area of British Mandatory Palestine into two states – one Jewish and one Arab.

In 1947, the UN General Assembly approved the resolution, which was accepted by the mandate's Jewish population, but rejected by the Arabs.

"Israel accepted this partition plan... the Palestinians and the Arab countries rejected it and tried to destroy us," Erdan said in a video message marking the occasion on his Twitter page.

"They also persecuted, massacred, and ultimately expelled the Jewish communities in their own countries. Shockingly, this atrocity is completely… ignored by the UN."

Erdan is partnering with the World Jewish Congress for a campaign to promote the stories of these refugees, with trucks broadcasting messages around New York reading "Don't erase Jewish history."

The official denounced the international body for holding a solidarity event "on the anniversary of the Palestinians' own decision to choose violence."

"The UN is erasing Jewish history, and distorting the truth," he argued.

Erdan also criticized the entity for promoting a Palestinian "right of return," a demand for the millions of Palestinian refugees and their descendants to come back to their ancestors' lands in what is now Israel.

This article was first published by i24NEWS.

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Former public security minister Gilad Erdan served as Israel's ambassador to Washington for 10 months. At the same time, he also served as Israel's ambassador at the United Nations in New York – a role he still holds. Taking on both roles brings with it complexities and ramifications.

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Erdan left for the United States in the summer of 2020 after being appointed by the Netanyahu-Gantz government. His agreement with former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was that as long as the latter remained prime minister, Erdan would hold on to the position of ambassador in Washington. As a senior minister in the government, Erdan's departure was fraught with political danger. He knew that the position in Washington, which is the more important of the two ambassadorships, could be short-lived, as indeed turned out to be the case.

But Erdan is someone who aims high, and if he decides to challenge Netanyahu for the leadership of Likud, and he will, he will want to present to the party members not just with his decade of his ministerial experience, but also substantial diplomatic experience. And while his term in Washington ended quickly, it included a number of significant milestones: The transition from the Trump administration to the administration of Joe Biden;  the formation of a new government in Israel, the first after 12 years not led by Netanyahu;  and a development that will influence the lives of all Israelis – a visa waiver for Israelis visiting the United States. Erdan made a significant contribution to the last of these milestones.

We speak by phone as he makes his way from New York to Washington to hand over to his successor, Israel's new ambassador to the US, Mike Herzog. While holding down both jobs, Erdan made the four-hour trip from New York to Washington at least twice a week. It wasn't easy, he admits.

"The first year was extremely difficult, but it was my family that paid the heaviest price. It's never easy to uproot to another country with four children, but our first year in New York was the most difficult we experienced as a family. We arrived in August 2020 at the height of the COVID pandemic, before there were vaccines.

"My kids went to school just two days a week, and were at home for the rest of the time in a new country. People weren't inviting guests over, so it was very difficult to make social connections. It was very challenging. But now that New York has opened up, I go watch [Knicks player] A'mare Stoudemire with my son, and when we're in Washington, we go to see [Wizards player] Danny Avdija. Life has become much easier."

Q: Let's start with life itself, as they say. When do you think Israelis will get a visa waiver?

"At the moment the process is very much dependent on the efforts of [US] governmental bodies. The political will of the administration has already been expressed at the highest levels by President Biden and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. By the way, six years ago, when I was public security minister and Mayorkas was deputy secretary of Homeland Security, he spoke of his desire to give Israelis a visa waiver. So he is very committed.

"When I took up my position, I gathered the staff at the embassy and made the visa waiver issue one of my top priorities. There was a lot of skepticism about it because the issue has been on the table for many years without us managing to solve it. In my conversations with members of Congress and representatives of the administration, I emphasized the importance of the decision to relations between the two countries. I explained that Israeli veterans should be treated differently as people of the same age elsewhere in the world. [Because of the "post-army trip" that is unique to Israel. A.K.]  That was the main obstacle.

"From the moment the personnel authorizing visas in Jerusalem are instructed not to reject visa applications from young people just released from the army, the rejection rate will drop and the countdown to a waiver will begin. The remaining issues are primarily technical: First of all, the police and the Justice Ministry need to make an effort to connect the criminal records system of both countries. If this happens, in the second half of 2022 or at the beginning of 2023, a waiver will be issued. I don't want to celebrate prematurely, but I'm certainly optimistic. It will make things much easier for Israeli citizens after decades in which they've had to stand in line to receive visas, and pay money and go through a process that can be humiliating because they're treated as if they're suspects. It will be a historic moment in bilateral ties, and I'm very proud to have taken a part in it."

Q: Will the visa waiver come at a cost, perhaps Israel agreeing to a consulate in Jerusalem for the Palestinians?

"I am not aware of any price Israel has been required to pay and I don't believe one exists. Look, this is also an American interest from the perspective of both tourism and business. Israel is the United States' closest ally in the Middle East, and one of its closest allies in the world. We cooperate on intelligence and other issues; the administration, including Democratic members of Congress, are very pleased with that cooperation.

"In the near future, Iron Dome may protect American soldiers in Iraq and other places. Countries that are not as close to the United States are included in the Visa Waiver Program. Israel should have been a part of it a long time ago."

Q: Has the administration been persuaded to give up the idea of a consulate for the Palestinians in Jerusalem?

"My impression is that the administration has yet to give up on this idea. The issue was raised in almost every meeting I had with representatives of the administration. They repeatedly explained that the president committed to going ahead with this. We explain the difficulties it will create for us. First and foremost, that sovereignty in Jerusalem is one of our most basic values. Various propositions were made to solve the dispute, but at the moment a resolution has yet to be reached. Even within the family there can be disputes, but that doesn't mean they have to cast a shadow over our relations."

In-depth talks on an American Plan B for Iran

Q: You have been involved for almost a year in the dialogue between Israel and the US on the Iranian issue. Do the Americans not understand that Iran is playing them and racing toward the bomb?

"The Israeli perception is that Iran is continuing to progress with its nuclear program and wishes to be a nuclear threshold state, while waiting for a convenient opportunity to break out. I think there is disagreement between Israel and the US and others in the West over this analysis. This difference of opinion touches on the question of what is the most efficient way to stop Iran, and that is a point on which there is a deep dispute.

"We believe that only if Iran sees a credible and significant military threat is there a chance that threat won't have to carried out, and then, perhaps, a stronger and broader agreement with a longer scope can be reached. On the other hand, the Americans believe that the first step should be to bring the international community on board and that this should be done through a return to the old agreement, a step that we see as a mistake.

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"The positive side is that on both counts, we see the Americans sobering up and they have accepted our position. If a year ago, they thought there was an 80% chance of a return to the agreement, today they put it at perhaps 20%. The second point is that to all intents and purposes, the current administration accepts Israel's position from 2015 that the original nuclear agreement was not a good one. The team managing the Iran file is the same team that was working on it in 2015.

"They say that the JCPOA needs to be improved. When they declare that there is a need to reach an agreement with Iran that is longer, broader, stronger that is an admission that the agreement signed back then was not enough. If an extension of the term of the agreement is required, and tighter enforcement mechanisms are required, and the issues covered by the agreement need to be broader, that means it was not good enough. There is no other way to explain it. Perhaps in 2021 they understand things that they didn't understand in 2015. But it doesn't really matter."

Q: If that's the case, what do they plan to do in the event that there is no agreement? What's Plan B?

"I don't want to talk on their behalf. But we are holding in-depth talks with them."

More countries could join the Abraham Accords

Q: Did Israel make a commitment to work in full cooperation with the United States, or not to operate unilaterally, when it comes to Iran?

"For many years, it has been common practice whenever there been an operation that concerns regions in which the United States has an interest, for Israel to try and notify them in advance. From what I was exposed to in my time as ambassador,  I am not aware of any condition that requires Israel to restrict itself."

Q: When this administration started out, it had low expectations on the Palestinian issue. In your opinion, is this something that is about to change? Can we expect a political process or pressure on Israel to make withdrawals?

"I don't believe this is what will happen. There are subjects on which we don't see eye to eye, like construction in Judea and Samaria and aid to UNRWA without it being conditioned on reforms against [Palestinian] incitement. But as far as an agreement is concerned, from President Biden's first day in office, the talk from the American side has only been about promoting economic projects to improve quality of life of the Palestinians. They also understand the issue of Hamas in Gaza and the danger that if elections are held in Judea and Samaria, Hamas will win.

Q: Do you think we'll see more countries join the Abraham Accords? Are their contacts that are about to mature into success?

"The Abraham Accords are an excellent example of policy that the administration has adopted [from the previous administration] despite the political polarization in the United States. They had reservations about them and came under fire in Congress, but despite that the administration has gone forward and has not put the Abraham Accords in danger. And it has not gone back on the remunerations given by the Trump administration.

"With time, they stepped up their efforts to bring in more countries, to leverage their influence on significant Muslim states that do not have ties with Israel in order to reach peace agreements. Higher echelons are now dealing with the issue and I hope that we will see the results within a few months. There is a chance. In contrast to the beginning of its term, the administration is now much more deeply invested in this, at the highest levels.

Q: What about China? Do you see this as a matter of dispute between Israel and the US administration?

"The issue of China has indeed become a very complex one from Israel's perspective. China is an economic partner, a desired and legitimate economic partner that offers cheap and fast work. On top of that, there aren't many companies, including American companies, that can compete for big construction projects in Israel. On the other hand, there is bipartisan agreement in the United States that China is a strategic threat and a danger to the United States. There is also a problem of human rights. It's very important to the administration that its allies including Israel make a clear choice. One of the most significant challenges for Ambassador Herzog and the government will be how to navigate this issue. It's clear to everyone that the US is our top priority. On the other hand, we're not an empire that can just give up on ties with an economic power like China.

'Biden loves Israel with all his heart'

Erdan took up the post of ambassador in Washington on Jan. 20, 2021, the same day that the Biden administation came into power after four years of a pro-Israel Trump administration. When asked how he would characterize the current administration's attitude toward Israel, Erdan says: "The Biden administration said straight-up that the Middle East is not top of its agenda … But we want the United States to be active in the Middle East, and on that issue, I've made great efforts to get the Middle East higher up on the administration's attention.

"Many of the steps we took, including meetings with Democratic congresspeople, opinion shapers within the party, were made to retain bipartisan support, which is a strategic asset. In that context, we face a significant challenge among minorities and the young generation. President Biden may have a different approach to that of the Trump administration, but he loves Israel with all his heart. In meetings with him I heard him talk at length about what he heard from his father growing up about ties with Israel. Does that mean that we see everything eye to eye? Not really. There are many differences in our worldviews."

Q: You spoke about bipartisan support. Are the anti-Israel streams in the Democratic Party getting stronger? Only recently, an African-American pro-Israel Democrat was elected as mayor of New York, and the same has happened elsewhere.

"Support for Israel among the Democrats is something we have to work hard at. The mainstream within the party was and remains pro- Israel. We saw that, for example, in the vote on Iron Dome, but that doesn't mean we can rest on our laurels. There are streams that are a cause for concern. The problematic group of members of Congress has grown from four to 12. They have an influence on minorities and on the young.

"Unfortunately, the Palestinians have joined forces with the Black Lives Matter movement as if the African-American and the Palestinian experiences are the same story. The two have nothing to do with each other. Because of this, my first trip as ambassador to the US was to the US South to get to know the story of the African-American community.

Q: It isn't just the administration that has changed; there is also a new government in Israel. You are a veteran political player who was a member of a party that is a rival of the current coalition, and it is obvious that you will return to the political arena. How is it possible to represent a government that your party opposes?

"Because of the complexity of the situation that emerged, I decided to not to continue in Washington and I informed Prime Minister Bennett of my decision, at my initiative.  The ambassadorship to Washington is a political appointment and requires personal trust with the prime minister and the foreign minister.

"I understood that this could create problems and therefore we agreed that I would end my role as soon as possible. At the United Nations, on the other hand, there is no real change in the diplomatic context. Defending Israel is something that is more general. As ambassador at the United Nations, I don't represent each cabinet minister or each MK. I with agreed-upon  major issues, and of course I  do so in coordination [with the government]."

Q: Nevertheless, you are a political figure who works with people that were and perhaps will be political rivals. Doesn't that get in the way?

"We have a correct working relationship. True, I was an elected official and a politician, but I made a conscious decision to take a diplomatic and international path for a certain time. I act in a statesmanlike way. My experience has also taught me that there is no point in all sort of speculations because the future can take us in a thousand directions. I worked in coordination with the Foreign Minister to lobby to keep as many countries as possible from taking part in the Durban Conference. And if the prime minister needs to address the United Nations, my view is that the citizens of Israel should want his speech to be as persuasive as possible. My role is to represent the good of the country. At the moment, I feelI have the ability to defend the positions of Israel. If ideological differences emerge, I'll reconsider whether or not to stay on."

Q: What are your future political plans? Will you return to Israel to run in the Likud party primaries?

"I chose to serve Israel in international arena. When I left, I took into consideration all the implications, including the political risks. But today, I'm focused only on defending Israel at the United Nations, in presenting Israel's beautiful face. As for the future, I don't know."

Q: We have already discussed how you held the two roles of ambassador at the United Nations and in Washington. You faced criticism for this. In retrospect, was it the right thing to do to take on both roles?

"Unequivocally, yes. I wouldn't say it would always be the right thing. But one has to look at the circumstances and the person who was charged with doing so. The most important asset we have at the United Nations is American support, and this administration has put at the top of its agenda a number of issues that are directly connected to the goings on at the United Nations.

"My experience as someone who has operated on both these fronts was of great help to me, including during Operation Guardian of the Walls. At the beginning of my tenure, when I had to build up a relationship with the new administration, I discussed with them topics that I had discussed with the American ambassador at the United Nations and her representatives. Perhaps it would have been more difficult for someone else, but I had a familiarity with the subjects from my experience as both a minister and a cabinet member for over a decade."

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The Israeli Ambassador to the US Gilad Erdan said Israel could complete the process of joining the US waiver program as early as mid-2022.

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"After I presented all the data to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and explained to him the reason why Israel did not meet all of the criteria [for the program], he was convinced this stemmed from a lack of understanding of the lifestyle in Israel on the part of immigration clerks and the delay in age created for veterans until they get a degree and a proper job. From that moment, a significant breakthrough was made that should lead to a resolution at the end of the process. We established joint working teams, and Israel has an answer for each of the program's requirements."

In an August meeting with Prime Minister Naftali Bennet, US President Joe Biden said he intended to add Israel to the visa waiver program.

"Ahead of the prime minister's Washington visit, I acted together with his team and the administration for there to be a presidential statement. And indeed, the president expressed his desire to see Israel included in the waiver program, and this is very significant progress," Erdan said.

Israel has been lobbying for the move for years, as being included in the US visa waiver program would enable all Israelis to visit the United States for up to 90 days for tourism or business.

Currently, Israelis seeking to travel to the US, even briefly, must go through a lengthy visa application process.

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Israeli Ambassador to the United States and the United Nations Gilad Erdan was barred on Monday by UN officials from bringing a display placard into the General Assembly showing that a UNRWA-appointed teacher in Gaza had expressed antisemitic views and praised former Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler.

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Erdan had meant to display the post during a discussion on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in an effort to highlight the problem of incitement in UNRWA-operated schools.

UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini, who addressed allegations of incitement and antisemitism in some of its classrooms and in some social media posts by its staff, spoke at the meeting and said he was "proud of UNRWA's education system."

"I am deeply proud of our education system and its resources. UNRWA uses host country curricula in line with best practices in refugee education," Lazzarini said.

"Let's be clear," he added, "UNRWA has a zero-tolerance policy for hate speech, incitement, discrimination, hostility or violence. I am, however, acutely aware that we are operating in a highly divided and emotionally charged environment where zero risk does not exist."

Lazzarini concluded: "Politically motivated attacks on our education system and more broadly against the agency are increasing in frequency and in aggression. Those behind these attacks do not have the well-being of Palestinian refugee children at heart."

Erdan, who wanted to respond to Lazzarini's speech and expose the truth about UNRWA's inciting education system and revelations of antisemitism within it, was stunned as a security team was instructed by UNRWA staff to prevent him from entering the General Assembly hall with the photo of an online post proving that the UNRWA-employed teacher had spewed antisemitic views and quoted Hitler as a source of inspiration.

The Israeli ambassador addressed the incident in his speech, saying: "I am shocked because I brought here with me a photo of a UNRWA teacher's post glorifying the most horrific mass murderer in history, Adolf Hitler. Unfortunately, shockingly, I was prevented from bringing in this photo in order to share this proof with the other distinguished ambassadors here.

"I see it as a very dangerous precedent here, preventing my freedom of expression, preventing my freedom of speech, and hiding the truth from the UN," Erdan said during his public speech to the UNGA.

Erdan went on to say that his attack on UNRWA was factual and not political.

"Hamas has built terror tunnels under UNRWA schools and stored weapons," he noted. "Textbooks used in UNRWA schools have glorified terrorists, called Jews Satan's helpers and display maps that erase Israel," he stated.

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"UNRWA is part of the problem, not the solution," Erdan said, "and the time has come for the International community to hold it accountable."

Speaking to reports after his speech, Erdan called it a "disgrace" that the UN was allowing lies to be presented while "leaving the truth outside."

"The UN isn't just biased, it also shuts mouths. The UNRWA commissioner-general said here that he was proud of his teachers. I didn't allow his lies to go without a response. I will continue fighting for our truth," he said.

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A day after the General Debate at the 76th UN General Assembly began, the international body turned the spotlight on the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the controversial UN World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa, which was dominated by clashes over the Middle East and the legacy of slavery.

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More than 30 countries are boycotting Wednesday's commemoration, according to the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, which urged more countries to join them "in continuing to fight racism, bigotry, and antisemitism."

The original Durban Conference in 2001 singled Israel out as racist, with draft resolutions saying Zionism is a form of racism. The legacy left by the first Durban conference, where Israel was labeled an "apartheid state," and, according to many of the speakers, Zionism was linked to racism in the lexicon of left-wing groups, was also evident in the follow-up conferences in 2009 and 2011.

The International Legal Forum (ILF) said in a letter to UN ambassadors and foreign ministers that the recurring event has "descended into an infamous hotbed of unbridled Jew-hatred, antisemitism and vilification of the State of Israel."

Israel's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Gilad Erdan on Wednesday noted that the boycott of the event by so many UN member states was a major accomplishment for the Jewish state. "The Durban conference was rotten to its core and therefore any event that commemorates it is the fruit of the poisonous tree," he said. "I am glad that many more countries have realized this, and I will continue to fight this fight until the UN realizes that the Durban stain has to be erased."

"We doubled the number of countries that will boycott the hate conference!" Erdan wrote on Facebook, adding that "31 countries will boycott the shameful event ... more than twice the number of countries that boycotted the Third Durban Conference in 2011."

Erdan said that in recent months, "I've talked to dozens of ambassadors, leaders and activists, harnessed the Jewish organizations for the struggle and worked in collaboration with the US" to get this boycott in motion, and asked people to "share [the post] so that the world hears the truth."

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"We will never apologize for defending our citizens, even if some here might be happy to see a higher number of dead Jews," Gilad Erdan, Israel's ambassador to the United States and the United Nations, told the UN General Assembly on Thursday, accusing the gathering of a lack of support for Israel and lambasting its "hypocrisy."

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"Right now, as I speak to you, Israeli citizens are running to seek shelter from Hamas' indiscriminate attacks," Erdan said.

Erdan cited the months it took for the UNGA to meet over a response to the coronavirus pandemic. "You are calling on Israel to exercise restraint when it is facing indiscriminate attacks every day," he said.

"The hypocrisy in this institution knows no boundaries," Erdan said, hitting out at Turkey, Denmark and France.

"We go above and beyond the demands of international law," Erdan said.

Erdan presented placards contrasting the clauses in the UN's charter, which seeks to uphold human rights, and that of Hamas, which calls for the destruction of Israel. Erdan accused the member states of failing to uphold the organization's founding principles through their weak action on Hamas.

"We see an attempt to create a false moral equivalence… between Israel, a democracy that seeks peace and abides by international law, and a murderous terrorist organization with an ideology similar to ISIS," Erdan said.

He accused Hamas of conducting the double war crime of attacking Israeli civilians while firing from behind Palestinian citizens, endangering them.

"It is outrageous that not only do you fail to call Hamas a terrorist organization, but you also refuse to demand that our sons are returned to their families," Erdan said.

The ambassador was referring to the bodies of Israeli soldiers Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul, and abducted citizens Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, held by Hamas since 2014.

"Hamas' charter, like the Nazis, is committed to the genocide of the Jewish people," Erdan said. "Israel makes every effort to avoid civilian casualties. Hamas makes every effort to increase civilian casualties."

Erdan said Israel "did everything to de-escalate the situation" and still favors a ceasefire, "but only after significantly degrading Hamas's terror machine. We are looking for a cure and not a bandaid."

"I have heard voices in this hall, accusing Israel of a disproportionate response based on the different number of Israeli and Palestinian casualties," he said.

"If the UN General Assembly had existed during the Nazi regime, would it have held a special session to condemn the Allies for their disproportionate response and the large number of German casualties? Would it have urged them to show restraint in the face of Hitler, the Nazi army and their supporters?" Erdan asked.

"You all know, and even the Palestinian representative [Riad Al-Maliki] here today knows, that Hamas' premeditated assault had nothing to do with any Israeli action. This was all the result of Hamas' frustration with [Palestinian Authority] President [Mahmoud] Abbas' decision to cancel the [Palestinian] elections [on April 29] and its desire to increase its political influence in east Jerusalem and the West Bank," Erdan accused.

"Hamas seeks to replace the Palestinian Authority, and take control of the Palestinian territories. So after the elections were canceled, it decided to launch a war of aggression against Israel," he said.

After PA Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki accused Israel of committing war crimes and deliberately massacring children in their sleep, Erdan walked out of the General Assembly meeting in protest.

Erdan was one of the few speakers at the UNGA session to speak unequivocally in defense of Israel's operation in Gaza in response to Hamas rocket fire. Representatives from 95 missions, including 12 ministers from Arab and Islamic countries, addressed the gathering, with the vast majority reiterating support for Palestinian self-determination, demanding an immediate ceasefire, and lamenting the destruction and loss of life in Gaza.

He warned that if the UN "strengthens Hamas, it will make the possibility of Hamas replacing the Palestinian Authority much more likely and eliminate the chance of future dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians."

"There is nothing to discuss with a terror organization committed to your annihilation, nothing. Hamas is an internationally designated terrorist organization and should be treated as one," he stressed.

The Israeli ambassador also lashed out at "the demonization of Israel," saying it is spurring "sickening antisemitic attacks" and singling out Turkey.

Erdan said there has never been "a clearer example of the fact that anti-Zionism is antisemitism" and called on all governments to take swift action to protect Jewish communities and apprehend perpetrators.

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National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat met with his American counterpart, Jake Sullivan, Tuesday at the Israeli Embassy in Washington to discuss the recent advancements in Iran's nuclear program and the US efforts to return to the 2015 nuclear deal. The two were joined by Robert Malley, who heads the American delegation in the nuclear talks in Vienna.

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The officials first held a small forum and were joined by Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations Gilad Erdan and National Security Council deputy head Reuven Ezer as well as Brett McGurk, US National Security Council's coordinator for the Middle East, and Barbara Leaf, the NSC's Senior Director for the Middle East. They were later joined by more representatives from both countries.

"The United States updated Israel on the talks in Vienna and emphasized strong US interest in consulting closely with Israel on the nuclear issue going forward," the White House said in a statement released after the meeting.

The two countries "agreed to establish an inter-agency working group to focus particular attention on the growing" Iranian threat, the statement said.

Officials also discussed the Islamist regime's presence in Syria and Hezbollah's activity in Lebanon, as well as the threat posed by the International Criminal Court in The Hague, the recent violence between Arabs and Jews in Jerusalem and more normalization deals between Israel and other Arab nations.

"The US strongly condemned the recent indiscriminate rocket attacks from Gaza into Israel. US officials affirmed this administration's continued support for efforts to advance peace between Israelis and Palestinians and a two-state solution to the conflict," the White House said.

Tuesday marked the first time Ben-Shabbat and Sullivan met in person, having only held meetings digitally before. Ben-Shabbat is scheduled to return to Israel Wednesday evening.

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Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan on Wednesday night lambasted UN bodies for consistently supporting numerous anti-Israel resolutions, saying they don't change anything and only perpetuate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Erdan made his remarks at the UN General Assembly Fourth Committee, where 139 UN countries adopted a resolution referring to Jerusalem's Temple Mount solely by its Muslim name of Haram al-Sharif.

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It was one of seven pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel resolutions the Committee in New York passed on Wednesday. Endorsing the "resolutions package" was the Palestinian Authority and countries such as Cuba, Indonesia and others.

"What is the point of these resolutions? Just to pave the way for future resolutions?" Erdan asked. "By supporting these resolutions you are not only wasting UN resources, you are also sabotaging any changes of future peace."

"Instead of persuading the Palestinians to choose the path of negotiations and peace, these resolutions only encourage them to harden their positions. Every voice in favor of these resolutions is another step toward turning the UN into an irrelevant body," Erdan said.

Erdan assailed the UN for supporting a resolution pertaining to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), saying that "one of the biggest reasons for the UN's failure in ending the conflict is its continued support of UNRWA. Simply put, UNRWA's very existence makes the Israeli-Palestinian conflict unsolvable, and I don't intend to allow business as usual anymore."

"Instead of functioning like the UN's refugee agency to integrate refugees in their countries of residency, UNWRA exaggerates the number of 'refugees' and automatically recognizes every Palestinian descendant as a refugee, even those who have already become permanent residents of other countries," Erdan added.

As for the resolution referring to the Temple Mount by its Muslim name only, Erdan denounced it as an "audacious attempt to rewrite history" and erase the centuries-old Jewish connection to Jerusalem.

"As Minister of Public Security, I ensured that all religions had access to Jerusalem's holy sites," said Erdan.

"During my term, the number of Jews visiting the Temple Mount each year more than tripled. No resolution passed here will stop that process. No resolution passed here will change the eternal connection between the Jewish people and the holiest site of our faith – the Temple Mount. They will also not change the fact that today, our connection to Jerusalem is stronger than ever. A growing number of countries are moving their embassies to Jerusalem, our united and undivided capital," the ambassador said.

"Unlike this chamber," he added, "which is detached from reality, a growing number of nations are acknowledging that Jerusalem is the undeniable capital of the Jewish people and the Jewish state. As Minister of Public Security, I ensured that all religions had access to Jerusalem's holy sites."

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Erdan is replacing Israel's current UN Ambassador Danny Danon, who has served in the role since 2015.

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Erdan will hold the position for three years, with an option of a one-year extension at the discretion of the foreign minister, Gabi Ashkenazi.

A government notice circulated on Thursday stated that Erdan also will become Israel's ambassador to the United States on Jan. 22, 2021 – replacing Ron Dermer, who has served in the role since 2013. Erdan will remain in that position for 11 months, during which time he will assume both ambassadorial roles simultaneously.

The short length of the latter tenure is in accordance with the coalition agreement signed at the end of April between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party and the Blue and White party, headed by Defense Minister Benny Gantz, who will assume the role of prime minister in late 2021. At that time, Gantz will be at liberty to appoint an ambassador to Washington of his own choosing.

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The only other Israeli figure to have filled both ambassadorial roles at once was the late diplomat Abba Eban, who served as a dual envoy from 1950 until 1959.

Upon accepting the double appointment in May, Erdan said: "I am proud and excited at the privilege to struggle for our reputation in the international arena and to defend Israel in the challenges ahead in the coming years."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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