Israel ambassador warns UN against backing Hamas

Israel's UN ambassador says his country wants a cease-fire in its conflict with Gaza's militant Hamas rulers "but only after significantly degrading Hamas' terror machine." Gilad Erdan told Thursday's emergency in-person meeting of the U.N. General Assembly on the conflict that "we are looking for a cure and not a band-aid." He said that "Israel will take all steps necessary to protect its civilians while making every effort to avoid harming Palestinian civilians." Erdan accused the 193-member General Assembly of "hypocrisy" in supporting Hamas, which every day is firing hundreds of rockets indiscriminately into Israel.

He stressed that Hamas doesn't accept Israel's right to exist and refuses to renounce violence.

He warned that if the U.N. "strengthens Hamas, it will make the possibility of Hamas replacing the Palestinian Authority much more likely and eliminate the chance of future dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians." He stressed "there is nothing to discuss with a terror organization committed to your annihilation, nothing." The Israeli ambassador also lashed out at "the demonization of Israel," saying it is spurring "sickening anti-Semitic attacks" and singling out Turkey.

Erdan said there has never been "a clearer example of the fact that anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism" and called on all governments to take swift action to protect Jewish communities and apprehend perpetrators.

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