Israel said to fear Arab push to suspend it from UN General Assembly; Erdan warns of ‘forceful response’

Israel believes that the Arab League and the Palestinians are at work on an initiative to try to suspend Israel from the UN General Assembly — depriving Israel of the right to participate in General Assembly debates and votes, Channel 12 reports. It says the Foreign Ministry believes the initiative will be timed to coincide with the looming IDF operation against Hamas in Rafah.

“If they really try to push for the suspension of Israel from the General Assembly, that would cross a red line,” Gilad Erdan, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, tells the TV station. “Israel would be compelled to respond forcefully, and take unprecedented steps such as closing the UN headquarters in Jerusalem and evicting UNRWA facilities so that any state that considers supporting this destructive move will know that it would only harm the Palestinian issue.”

Channel 12 notes that such a move has only happened once before, when South Africa’s General Assembly rights were suspended in 1974 because of its apartheid policies.

It says the complex process would require the support of the Security Council and a two-thirds majority in the General Assembly. It is not clear how this could be achieved, since the US could veto such an effort in the Security Council.

The Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem has heard leaks from internal Arab League discussions pointing to this plan, the TV report says. It adds that even if the initiative fails, it would cause reputational damage to Israel.

South Africa repeated its allegations of apartheid against Israel at the International Court of Justice last week, and Channel 12 says South Africa’s ambassador to the United Nations said at the UN General Assembly last week that Israel should not be allowed to continue to sit in the forum.