Israel calls on Security Council to denounce attacks on Israeli citizens – Letter from Israel

Identical letters dated 9 October 2015 from the Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council

Since my most recent letter, merely five days ago, the horrific attacks on Israeli citizens have rapidly escalated. It is difficult to convey in a letter the sense of fear that comes with knowing that at any time, on any street, one's life may be threatened. Parents are worried that their children could be stabbed on the way to school, and children have had to watch their own parents brutally murdered in front of their eyes.

The wave of violence has spread nationwide. In the past 72 hours alone, 11 terror attacks like these have taken place in cities across Israel.

Today, over the course of just one hour, an Israeli teenager was stabbed by a Palestinian terrorist in Jerusalem, a policeman was stabbed in Kiryat Arba and a woman attempted to stab a security guard at the central bus station in Afula.

On Thursday, a 19-year-old resident of East Jerusalem stabbed a 25-year-old student in the chest; in Tel Aviv, a terrorist stabbed a female Israel Defense Forces soldier with a screwdriver and went on to stab four other people; in Kiryat Arba, a Palestinian stabbed a 25-year-old man who sustained serious injuries; and, in the fourth terror attack of the day, an Israel Defense Forces soldier was stabbed by a Palestinian terrorist in the city of Afula.

On Wednesday, a Palestinian woman stabbed a man in the back in broad daylight in the Old City of Jerusalem; a 25-year-old Palestinian stabbed several people near a large shopping mall in Petach Tikva; in Kiryat Gat, a Palestinian attacker stabbed an Israeli soldier, grabbed his gun, and invaded a private residence before being shot by police officers; and finally, near Tekoa, Palestinian attackers injured a 38-year-old woman, smashing her car windows and physically removing her from the vehicle before she managed to flee the scene.

As I stated in my previous letter, dated 4 October 2015 (5/2015/757), the escalation in terrorist attacks and killings is a result of the ongoing instigation to violence by the Palestinian leadership. Palestinian officials continue to use inflammatory rhetoric and dangerous incitement, intensifying this wave of terror against Israeli citizens, and it must stop.

The voice of the Security Council needs to be heard. As my final act as the Ambassador of Israel, I am taking the time to write to you to stress the urgency of this situation that requires immediate action. Israelis are being attacked and murdered in the streets, in their vehicles and even in their homes, and the United Nations stands by in silence.

I call upon you to denounce these attacks in a clear and unequivocal manner, and to speak out against the campaign of incitement, violence and terror currently being waged against the people of Israel.

I should be grateful if you would have the present letter distributed as a document of the Security Council.

(Signed) Ron Prosor

Ambassador

Permanent Representative