In a letter to Knesset speaker Yuli Edelstien, Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon accused Knesset Member Ayman Odeh of “crossing a red line”. The allegation followed a letter by Odeh, Chairman of the Joint List faction, to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon calling for an investigation into land disputes in the Negev.
The application for the probe was submitted by Odeh through UN Palestinian Authority Representative Riyad Mansour. In it Odeh asked for a “UN fact-finding mission to the Negev to examine the dire situation of the land’s indigenous Arab population, and work to secure their rights as guaranteed by international law and conventions.”
Danon reacted harshly to Odeh’s actions in a letter to Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, “I find it appalling that MK Odeh decided to work together with the Palestinian representative who regularly spreads Antisemitic lies against the State of Israel. A red line has been crossed.”
Mansour is known for particularly vehement rhetoric towards Israel. In November he accused Israel of harvesting organs from Arab bodies, and last month he compared Israel to Nazis in the Warsaw uprising.
UN Under-Secretary-General Jeffrey Feltman denied Odeh’s request in a response to the Israel’s Mission to the UN, and not via the Palestinian Authority Representative.