Nations face these moments of clarity as well. Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations, Dan Gillerman, spoke clearly and eloquently about Syria's role in international terrorism and particularly about Syria's role in terrorism against Israeli citizens.
Ambassador Gillerman's speech came less than 48 hours after a horrific bombing of a restaurant in Haifa took the lives of 19 and wounded dozens. That terrorist attack was claimed by Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
The Ambassador laid out a simple and clear case that Syria has supported Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other terrorist groups, which have killed and injured Israeli civilians. All while Syria has been a member of not just the United Nations, but as a member of the UN Security Council and indeed as its President.
The speech is a scathing indictment of Syria's complicity in terrorism.
Instead of trying to summarize his comments, I will reprint the entire speech here. I wish to thank Charles Johnson of Little Green Footballs for posting the entire speech, along with selpaw and Thom, who provided Charles with the pdf files.
The President: I give the floor to the representative of Israel.Mr. Gillerman (Israel): First, let me congratulate you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council. Let me also express to you my regret that your first meeting should be of this nature and take place on this day.
I wish also to express to Sir Emyr Jones Parry my great appreciation for his able and fair stewardship of the Security Council last month.
This meeting of the Security Council is being convened within hours of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which is the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. I deeply regret that the Council could not meet after this most important religious day so as to allow Israel to participate fully in the debate. I will, unfortunately, have to leave this meeting after I make my statement in order to observe this holy day. Yesterday, a Palestinian suicide bomber entered a crowded beachfront restaurant in the port city of Haifa, murdering 19 innocent civilians and wounding at least 60 others. The restaurant - a symbol of Arab-Israeli coexistence, as is the city of Haifa - was frequented by Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel alike, and among the victims were four Israeli Arabs, three children and a little baby girl. Five victims were members of the same family and three were members of another family. Whole families were wiped out by that horrendous act, taking place on the Jewish sabbath on a quiet, peaceful beachfront in the city of Haifa.
