Israel’s Ambassador Danon and Terror Victim Oran Almog Call on Security Council to Act Against PA Payments to Terrorists
(New York – July 25, 2017) Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon, and Oran Almog, a victim of a Palestinian terror attack, called on the Security Council on July 25, 2017 to act against Palestinian Authority payments to terrorists.
Almog was severely injured and lost five family members when a suicide bomber blew herself up in the Maxim restaurant in Haifa in 2003. Ambassador Danon invited Almog to speak at the UN today ahead of the Security Council meeting on the Situation in the Middle East. StandWithUs, an international, Israel education organization, helped organize Oran’s visit to the UN.
“Until the age of ten I was an ordinary kid, but all this changed in one moment. Just as my family was having lunch at the Maxim restaurant, a Palestinian woman disguised to be pregnant blew herself up between the diners. She murdered twenty-one people, including my father, my little brother, my grandparents, and my cousin. I was severely injured and eventually lost my vision,” Oran Almog said in his remarks at the UN.
“The Security Council is holding a discussion on the Middle East, but one of the most important subjects, the funding of terrorism by the Palestinian Authority, will remain outside this discussion. The Palestinian leadership is paying salaries to terrorists and their families every single month. Anyone who believes in the value of human life should act against these payments,” Almog continued.
During his address to the Security Council, Ambassador Danon noted that, “the murderous attack in Halamish did not happen in a vacuum. This terrorist committed a heinous crime following rampant, relentless calls by Palestinian officials inciting violence. It is no secret that the Palestinians have built an industry of incitement.”
The Ambassador explained that, “the family of the terrorist from the Maxim restaurant has earned tens of thousands of dollars in payments for her crime. Her two accomplices have earned over half a million dollars in terror payments from the PA.” He then added that, “Oran is here with us today. He is a true hero and a true model for the appreciation of life, while the PA pays the salaries of convicted murderers. How many more innocents will be murdered? How many thousands of dollars will the Salomons’ killer be rewarded before the world acts?”
Roz Rothstein, co-founder and CEO of StandWithUs, said, “It is clear that payments to terrorists incentivize them and contribute to a dangerous cycle of violence such as the recent massacre of three members of the Salomon family. The international community cannot ignore the fact that its funding continues to be used to promote hate and violence to the Palestinian people, especially its youth. It is high time that this be stopped.”
About StandWithUs
StandWithUs (SWU) is a sixteen year-old, international, non-profit Israel education organization. Through fellowships, conferences, materials, social media, educational films and missions to Israel, StandWithUs supports people around the world who want to educate their campuses and communities about Israel.
Based in Los Angeles, SWU has chapters throughout the United States including New York, in Israel, Canada, and the U.K