05 Oct 2021; MEMO: The United Nations security personnel yesterday prevented Israel's Ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, from bringing a poster of Adolf Hitler to a General Assembly session dedicated to discussing the financial crisis of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
Israeli media outlets said Erdan wanted to highlight a social media post by a UNRWA teacher which glorified Hitler.
"I see it as a very dangerous precedent here, preventing my freedom of expression, preventing my freedom of speech, and hiding the truth from the UN," Erdan said.
"I am shocked because I brought here with me a photo of a UNRWA teacher's post glorifying the most horrific mass murderer in history, Adolf Hitler. Unfortunately, shockingly, I was prevented from bringing in this photo in order to share this proof with the other distinguished ambassadors here," Erdan said.
A UN spokesperson said UN protocol prevents ambassadors from using props when delivering speeches.
On Monday, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini presented a report to the General Assembly about the challenges of providing services to 5.7 million Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Lazzarini also addressed allegations of incitement and anti-Semitism in some of UNRWA classrooms and in some social media posts by its staff, saying: "I am deeply proud of our education system and its resources. UNRWA uses host country curricula in line with best practices in refugee education."
