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Gilad Erdan Bids Farewell to United Nations, Ending Four-Year Tenure as Israeli Ambassador
Gilad Erdan addresses delegates at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, US May 10, 2024. Photo: Eduardo Munoz via Reuters Connect
Gilad Erdan bid farewell to the United Nations on Monday during an intimate ceremony held in New York City, capping off a four-year tenure as Israel’s permanent representative to the international body and beginning what many of his friends and supporters hope is a new chapter of his decorated career.
“I had the immense, immense privilege of representing Israel at the United Nations. I woke up every morning with a clear mission to prove that Israel is a moral state, a country that cherishes life and peace, a country that wants to protect its citizens like any other country, and a state with the best and most ethical army in the world — the IDF [Israel Defense Forces],” Erdan said in a speech which followed tributes by New York City Mayor Eric Adams, US Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY), and Jewish leaders.
He continued, “I did everything I could to raise awareness about the horrors of Oct. 7, about our hostages … and the sexual violence we saw against Israeli women. I did this in every way possible, and with all means at my disposable, yes. It was a way to raise awareness, to shock, to cry out for those who cannot.”
Born in Ashkelon, Israel in 1970, Erdan has spent the past three decades serving the Israeli people as a public servant in both foreign and domestic affairs. A member of the Likud Party, he has been a member of parliament and held several key ministerial roles, traveling across the world and working with some of the most consequential — and controversial — leaders of recent decades time, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Joe Biden, and former US President Donald Trump.
As UN ambassador, Erdan became a leading defender of Israel’s foreign policy, defending the country’s efforts to combat terrorism and facing down numerous attempts to undermine its standing in the community of nations. Often, the body in which he served, the United Nations, became the object of his frustration and opprobrium.
In 2022, Erdan slammed the UN General Assembly for scheduling a controversial vote on a resolution which asked the International Court of Justice to issue an advisory opinion on the Palestinian territories, saying, “No international body can decide that the Jewish people are ‘occupiers’ in their own homeland” and charging that the decision to schedule the vote during Shabbat was “another example of the moral decay of the UN.”
After the Oct. 7 massacre across southern Israel perpetrated by Hamas — a tragedy in which more Jews were killed in a single day than any time since the Holocaust — Erdan insisted on the return of the 250 hostages kidnapped by the terrorist group and transported to Gaza as a precondition for any dialogue aimed at ending Israel’s war to eradicate Hamas. He also criticized the UN for initiating a series of resolutions which ignored the sexual violence Hamas committed against Israeli women.
“Will you continue your silence and indifference?” he said in March following a UN report which included copious evidence supporting accounts of Hamas’ sexual assaults. “What if these were your daughters, your granddaughters. Would you continue to ignore them or would you demand immediate action?”
The Israeli government in June agreed to appoint Likud lawmaker Danny Danon as Israel’s next ambassador to the UN, succeeding Erdan.
Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.
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Brooklyn Nets Select Israeli Basketball Players Ben Saraf, Danny Wolf in NBA Draft
The opening tip between the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards, at Barclays Center, in Brooklyn, New York, Dec. 13, 2020. Photo: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
In a landmark night for Israeli basketball, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf were selected in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft by the Brooklyn Nets, marking the first time two Israeli players have been drafted in the same year.
Saraf, a 19-year-old guard known for his explosive athleticism and creative playmaking, was taken with the 26th pick. A standout with Maccabi Rishon LeZion and a rising star on Israel’s youth national teams, Saraf gained international attention with his electrifying scoring and commanding court presence.
With the 27th pick, the Nets selected 7-foot center Danny Wolf out of the University of Michigan. Wolf, who holds dual US-Israeli citizenship and represented Israel at the U-20 level, brings a versatile skill set, including sharp passing, perimeter shooting, and a strong feel for the game. After his name was called, Wolf grew emotional in an on-air interview, crediting his family for helping him reach the moment.
“I have the two greatest brothers in the world; I have an unbelievable sister who I love,” Wolf said. “They all helped me get to where I am today, and they’re going to help me get to where I am going to go in this league.”
The historic double-pick adds to the growing wave of Israeli presence on the NBA stage, led by Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija, who just completed a breakout 2024–25 season. After being traded to Portland last summer, Avdija thrived as a starter, averaging 16.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. In March alone, he posted 23.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game, including two triple-doubles.
“I don’t think I’ve played like this before … I knew I had it in me. But I’m not really thinking about it. I’m just playing. I’m just free,” Avdija told reporters in March
With Saraf and Wolf joining Avdija, Israel’s basketball pipeline has reached unprecedented visibility. Israeli President Isaac Herzog called the moment “a national celebration for sports and youth,” and Israeli sports commentators widely hailed the night as “historic.”
Both Saraf and Wolf are expected to suit up for the Nets’ Summer League team in July. As the two rookies begin their NBA journey, they join a growing generation of Israeli athletes proving that their game belongs on basketball’s biggest stage.
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Iran Denies Any Meeting With US Next Week, Foreign Minister Says
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi attends a press conference following a meeting with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, April 18, 2025. Photo: Tatyana Makeyeva/Pool via REUTERS
Iran currently has no plan to meet with the United States, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Thursday in an interview on state TV, contradicting US President Donald Trump’s statement that Washington planned to have talks with Iran next week.
The Iranian foreign minister said Tehran was assessing whether talks with the US were in its interest, following five previous rounds of negotiations that were cut short by Israel and the US attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The US and Israel said the strikes were meant to curb Iran’s ability to create nuclear weapons, while Iran says its nuclear program is solely geared toward civilian use.
Araqchi said the damages to nuclear sites “were not little” and that relevant authorities were figuring out the new realities of Iran’s nuclear program, which he said would inform Iran’s future diplomatic stance.
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Ireland Becomes First European Nation to Advance Ban on Trade With Israeli Settlements
A pro-Hamas demonstration in Ireland led by nationalist party Sinn Fein. Photo: Reuters/Clodagh Kilcoyne
Ireland has become the first European nation to push forward legislation banning trade with Israeli communities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem — an effort officials say is meant “to address the horrifying situation” in the Gaza Strip.
On Wednesday, Irish Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Simon Harris announced that the legislation has already been approved by the government and will now move to the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade for pre-legislative scrutiny.
“Ireland is speaking up and speaking out against the genocidal activity in Gaza,” Harris said during a press conference.
The Irish diplomat also told reporters he hopes the “real benefit” of the legislation will be to encourage other countries to follow suit, “because it is important that every country uses every lever at its disposal.”
Today Ireland becomes the first country in Europe to bring forward legislation to ban trade with the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Ireland is speaking up and speaking out against the genocidal activity in Gaza.
Every country must pull every lever at its disposal. pic.twitter.com/Z4RTjqntEY— Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) June 24, 2025
Joining a growing number of EU member states aiming to curb Israel’s defensive campaign against the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, Ireland’s decision comes after a 2024 advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared Israel’s presence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem illegal.
The ICJ ruled that third countries must avoid trade or investment that supports “the illegal situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”
Once implemented, the law will criminalize the importation of goods from Israeli settlements into Ireland, empowering customs officials to inspect, seize, and confiscate any such shipments.
“The situation in Palestine remains a matter of deep public concern,” Harris said. “I have made it consistently clear that this government will use all levers at its disposal to address the horrifying situation on the ground and to contribute to long-term efforts to achieve a sustainable peace on the basis of the two-state solution.”
“Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory are illegal and threaten the viability of the two-state solution,” the Irish diplomat continued. “This is the longstanding position of the European Union and our international partners. Furthermore, this is the clear position under international law.”
Harris also urged the EU to comply with the ICJ’s ruling by taking a more decisive and “adequate response” regarding imports from Israeli settlements.
“This is an issue that I will continue to press at EU level, and I reiterated my call for concrete proposals from the European Commission at the Foreign Affairs Council this week,” he said.
Last week, Ireland and eight other EU member states — Finland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden — called on the European Commission to draft proposals for how EU countries can halt trade and imports with Israeli settlements, in line with obligations set out by the ICJ.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemned the latest move by European countries, calling it “shameful” and a misguided attempt to undermine Israel while it faces “existential” threats from Iran and its proxies, including Hamas.
“It is regrettable that even when Israel is fighting an existential threat which is in Europe’s vital interest — there are those who can’t resist their anti-Israeli obsession,” the top Israeli diplomat said in a post on X.
It is regrettable that even when Israel fighting an existential threat which is in Europe vital interest – there are those who can’t resist their anti-Israeli obsession.
Shameful! https://t.co/lxm9qm8sM1— Gideon Sa’ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) June 19, 2025
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