JTA is reporting that Israel has asked the United Nations to recognize Yom Kippur as an official UN holiday.
Deputy Foreign Minister Ze’ev Elkin and Israel’s ambassador to the UN Ron Prosor met Monday with UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson to request international recognition for Yom Kippur.
It means UN employees would be allowed to take a day off without having to give up a vacation day.
There are 10 UN holidays, including the Muslim observances of Eid Al-Fitr, Eid Al-Adha and the birth of the Prophet Muhammad, along with Christmas Day, Palm Sunday, Easter and the Islamic New Year.
But, to keep it real, it may not be outlandish to extend to the international body a request to include the Jewish day of mourning for our two destroyed temples as an official day off for Jews—especially since the UN is so frequently involved in attempts to reenact those festivities…