BICOM

UN officials have elected Israel to head one of the UN’s six permanent committees for the first time in its history.

Although Israelis have previously presided over ad-hoc UN committees, and even co-chaired the General Assembly, this is the first time that Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, will presided over the UN’s Legal Committee. The Legal Committee, known officially as the Sixth Committee, is “the primary forum for the consideration of legal questions in the General Assembly,” according to the UN.

The committee also deals with issues including fighting global terrorism, and the Israeli delegation at the UN said: “One of Ambassador Danon’s first tasks in his new position will be to further the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.” Danon commented following his election that “Israel is a world leader in international law and in fighting terrorism. We are pleased to have the opportunity to share our knowledge with the countries of the world.”

Danon was elected yesterday as the nominee of the Western European and Others Group in the UN, a bloc which Israel formally joined in 2013. However, his candidacy was fiercely opposed by the UN’s Arab Group and Non-Aligned Movement of countries, with Iran especially active in attempting to thwart Danon’s election. UN committee chairs are normally adopted by consensus, but due to Arab and Iranian-led opposition, a secret ballot was held in which 109 countries voted in favour of Danon from 193 member-states. Danon said: “We will not allow dictatorships and anti-Israel countries to harm our standing in the international community.”

Several of the UN’s institutions are widely regarded as being hostile towards Israel, especially the Human Rights Council (UNHRC), which mandates a debate on Israel at each UNHRC session. No other country is subject to such a mandate.