A former Israel ambassador to the United Nations has launched a swingeing attack on the institution, condemning it as a “stain on humanity” and “the house of lies”.
Gilad Erdan, one-time ambassador now the global president of Magen David Adom, was keynote speaker at MDA UK’s fundraising dinner on Monday night in central London, celebrating its 75th anniversary.
Addressing more than 400 guests at the event, Erdan pointed out that non-democracies were counted amongst UN members — going on to call for the dissolution of the institution and criticising it for its bias against Israel.
After being introduced by Israel’s ambassador to the UK, Tzipi Hotovely, Erdan said: “Today, the UN is not just biased, it is a weapon in the hands of terrorism,” adding: “Through distortions and accusations, branding us — not Hamas — as human rights violations, all to try to prevent our victory”.
He added: “I believe that the time has come for us to understand that the UN is lost; it is rotten to its core — the UN must be defunded completely”.
He continued: “As long as the UN exists – we have to fight back. We must never stay silent… I always fought with my head held high, and I was always on the offensive, never apologetic. We understand and we know their hypocrisy and double standards. In the face of evil, there is no room for diplomatic niceties”.
Acknowledging antisemitism across the UK, he told guests: “You have shown fortitude and strength in the face of bigotry and hatred, you have stood strong for the collective Jewish future in the United Kingdom – Israel stands with you, because we are all part of this fight. You have our back, and we have yours”.
The 2024 Olympic windsurfing champion Tom Reuveny spoke about his journey as an athlete and the impact 7 October had had on his performance.
Remembering his friends Shalev and Karina who were killed in the Nova music festival massacre, his former school friend Sagi who died serving in Gaza and the fact that his brother, IDF soldier Nati, was in the region during the competition, Reuveny said: “I wanted to help, to contribute in any way that I could, but I wasn’t a soldier, I couldn’t pick up a weapon and go and fight. At first, the idea of training for an Olympic medal felt really selfish. While others were risking their lives, volunteering, sacrificing so much for our nation, I was focused on sailing, on a goal that felt so distant and insignificant.”
He added: “But as weeks passed, something changed, I began to see my role differently. I realised that the best way I could give back to my country, the best way I could serve was by going out and bringing home an Olympic medal. Winning wasn’t just for me anymore, it was for everyone.”
Reuveny — who windsurfed from the age of eight and spent part of his childhood in Ireland — said he received abuse and death threats on social media as he progressed in the competition, adding that it spurred him on to win the gold medal.
Displaying his medal, the 24-year-old athlete said: “These messages didn’t break me, they fuelled me,” adding: “I knew the best way to respond wasn’t with words, but with action. Victory was the best reply.”
Olympic windsurfer Tom Reuveny at MDA UK dinner (pic Adam Lawrence)
He told Jewish News that he was moved by the UK audience, saying: “Everyone was so nice and welcoming; it just makes me so proud to be Jewish”.
Paying tribute to the organisation’s work, MDA UK chief executive Daniel Burger said more needed to be done — emphasising that MDA “represents the very best of Israel society, leading with technology, speaking of coexistence as a cross-representation of all Israeli society – 90 per cent of its workforce are volunteers… they do it to save lives.”
He highlighted the need to fundraise for upgrades to MDA ambulance stations across Israel, install bomb shelters at these stations, and announced a plan to modernise an underground MDA dispatch centre in Netanya, and improve training, technology and equipment across MDA.
The event — featuring music by Nova survivor DJ Ben Sadeh — concluded with an impromptu performance by singer Noam Ben David. Also a survivor of the Nova festival massacre, she paid tribute to her late boyfriend David Newman, who was killed in the Hamas attack on 7 October.
