Israel’s Man at the UN, Gilad Erdan, Finds Himself in a Delicate Position

Representing Israel is one of the toughest jobs at the United Nations. Not only is the Jewish state targeted more than any other country for censure by the world body, its ambassador also has to be careful not to step on political toes back home. The current envoy of Israel at the UN, Gilad Erdan, may well aspire to follow in the footsteps of Israeli predecessors. Like Haim Herzog, who became Israel president. Or Benjamin Nentanyahu, who was Israel’s longest-serving prime minister. Yet, as a diplomat one needs to avoid politics. When Mr. Erdan presided over a General Assembly meeting last week, during the busiest time for the UN, the current Israeli prime minister, Yair Lapid, expressed support for the creation of a Palestinian state. Back home the premier’s speech was widely panned by the opposition party, Likud, Mr. Erdan’s political home.That put the ambassador in a delicate position. “When I decided to come here and take a break from my political career I understood the ramifications,” Mr. Erdan told the Sun in one of several recent conversations. “I mean now I represent the state of Israel, and the current government of Israel.”A Likud stalwart, Mr. Erdan was named in 2020 by the prime minister at the time, Mr. Netanyahu, as ambassador at Washington and the UN. Soon after a new government was formed in 2021, pushing Likud to the opposition, Mr. Erdan relinquished the Washington post. He kept his UN position, where he will stay at least until his current three-year contract expires next September. “I’m not the kind of guy who changes his views every year or even every decade,” Mr. Erdan told the Sun. As environmental minister in 2012, Mr. Erdan told a panel at New York that “Israel was not established to create a Palestinian state.” Yet, last week he didn’t flinch when Mr. Lapid expressed support at the UN for the vaunted two-state solution. A day after Mr. Lapid’s speech, the Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas, demanded full UN membership for the State of Palestine. “Everyone understands that this is something that is not currently on the table,” Mr. Erdan said, adding, “I was approached by several members” of the Security Council who said that “although they support the two-state solution, they know it’s not the time for it. They know that Abu Mazen is not in full control” at the prospective Palestinian state, in the West Bank and Gaza. Mr. Erdan said the UN is not helpful in promoting peace between Israelis and Palestinians. The Abraham accords — peace treaties several Arab states signed two years ago with Israel — were made possible specifically because the UN was not involved, he said. “Each time the UN was involved in promoting peace with the Palestinians, it only caused harm,” he said. “They send a clear message to a younger generation of Palestinians that they shouldn’t support any kind of compromise because there is a strong, big majority here to support a hundred percent of their demands.”He said that in private conversations, the UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, told him he knows that Mr. Abbas’s “crazy” demand for a right of return of millions Palestinian descendants of refugees to the current state of Israel is unrealistic. Yet, Mr. Guterres never says so publicly. So, Mr. Erdan said, “How could the next Palestinian leader compromise on the right of return” if the UN secretary general doesn’t say it?Yet, the UN can be helpful in promoting Israel’s interests. In January, Mr. Erdan initiated a General Assembly resolution that built on a past resolution banning Holocaust denial. It now includes specific parameters defining what such denial is.“So now I have a tool to work with Google. Because when I was minister of public security, Google and Facebook had excuses” about flagging Holocaust deniers. “You know, they said, ‘It’s not really clear. There is no definition. It’s political.’ Now I tell them there is a UN definition of Holocaust denial.”Back home, voters may not be aware of such nuances. Yet, representing the country abroad, and especially at Washington and at the UN, could advance one’s political career. “I was minister of internal security, minister of communication, and environment minister,” Mr. Erdan said. He also captured top spots in internal Likud primary votes. After being offered the spot twice, he agreed to go to the UN. Postings at the UN and at Washington “turns you into a statesman,” he said. “It helps you forge ties with American and global figures, and with world Jewish leaders.”On the other hand, he said, being away could have its drawbacks as well. Climbing the greasy pole, especially in Likud politics, entails a lot of hand shaking and personal connection with party activists. While today’s social media can make up for the loss of physical presence, being far away can erode some of these ties. For now Mr. Erdan is careful not to talk about his future political plans. He is 51, a bit younger than some Likud contenders who may try to capture the party leadership once Mr. Netanyahu leaves politics.Yet, he said, “if you are in the public sphere, you hope to reach the position that will be the most influential. Because if you are committed to serve your people and your country, you have your ideology and your views, you want to implement them and improve everything that is happening in Israel.”

Israel’s Man at the UN, Gilad Erdan, Finds Himself in a Delicate Position

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