Dissing the UN

“Who needs UNTSO?” (Editorial, May 7) is one of the most important statements I have ever read in The Jerusalem Post.

The UN-occupied property in Jerusalem’s Armon Hanatziv neighborhood needs to be vacated as soon as possible. There is no need for this organization, and certainly not one occupying a site as large as this.

SHLOMO FISHEROWITZ

Jerusalem

The hypocritical absurdities of the United Nations, as well its unremitting hostility to Israel, are too well known to repeat. But there is a simple question to ask: Why on earth do we allow the UN to occupy a valuable piece of real estate in our capital despite its refusal to acknowledge any Jewish sovereignty over the city? Have we no pride?

SIDNEY HANDEL

Tel Aviv

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his thanks to those nations that voted against or abstained from the UNESCO resolution on Jerusalem, and the Swedish ambassador was called in by the Foreign Ministry, as the Swedes had voted for it (“After UNESCO vote, J’lem cuts UN funding, raps Swedish envoy,” May 4). Yet no criticism was leveled at either Russia or China, which also voted in favor.

The only positive action that Netanyahu is purported to have initiated is withholding an additional $1 million from Israel’s contribution to the UN – but according to UNESCO, Israel is in arrears to the tune of $8.59m., with the last payment having been made in September 2011!

Netanyahu ignores the fact that China, one of the permanent members of the UN Security Council, not only voted for Resolution 2334, which last December denied the validity of Jewish settlement, but also voted for the UNESCO resolution, disavowing Israel’s sovereignty in Jerusalem. In the meantime, what of the 20,000 Chinese construction workers due here shortly – presumably, they will not build in Jerusalem!

In the 1930s, Jews were oblivious to the National Socialist Party in Germany and turned a blind eye to both its policies and actions until it was too late. This should serve as a warning to the prime minister with respect to China, which constantly votes against Israel in international forums. Hence, Chinese involvement in our internal affairs and joint trade Israel should not be encouraged.

To show Israel’s abhorrence of the UN and its negative institutions, we must be firm and immediately throw it out of Government House in Jerusalem, which serves as the world body’s seat of power here in the Jewish State of Israel.

COLIN L. LECI Jerusalem

The UN flag continues to fly over a building near the former Mandelbaum Gate crossing in Jerusalem, which was dismantled in 1967, marking what was until then a checkpost between Israel and Jordanian-controlled east Jerusalem. Presumably, the UN thinks the crossing still exists.

Israel should ask the UN to remove the flag and shut down the pointless “checkpoint control” office.

DAVID ZOHAR Jerusalem

The writer is a retired ambassador.