Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations said Nov. 8 that “life might be easier” if the world body didn’t exist.
Meron Reuben added, however, that “whether we like it or not, we have to partake in its deliberations.”
The United Nations “is the most important multilateral organization in the world,” Reuben said. “Israel cannot be seen to be outside the United Nations.”
Reuben held his first face-to-face meeting Nov. 8 with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since his temporary appointment by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. Netanyahu did not approve of Reuben’s appointment, so Reuben has taken the post on an interim basis.
“The hypocrisy of the United Nations makes Israel the scapegoat for everything,” Reuben, who also serves as Israel’s ambassador to Colombia, said in an interview. “We have learned, unfortunately, to live with this, but I hope it won’t go on forever.” — jta