Gilad Erdan's words at the UN General Assembly
(Video: UN)
Israel's Ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, marked the upcoming first birthday of Kfir Bibas, an infant abducted into Gaza with his mother and 4-year old brother, during his address at the UN General Assembly.
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Erdan presented a birthday cake featuring Kfir's picture and conveyed his wishes, saying, "I wish that next year, you will celebrate your birthday surrounded by the love of your family. This birthday cake is for you; you are the reason Israel is fighting day and night."
The move, made in coordination with Bibas’ family, won the Israeli ambassador the first recorded applause on the UN stage. Erdan referred to the difficult conditions in which the Israeli captives were being held by Hamas.
“Ninety-six days have passed since Hamas massacred, burned, raped, and murdered 1,300 Israelis in cold blood, and kidnapped 240 into Gaza. It has been about 100 days, and the UN General Assembly, like any other UN body, hasn’t even condemned the atrocities."
He addressed the ambassadors and UN members, adding, "Many of you here are parents or grandparents. Every milestone in your children's lives is a celebration — their first step, first word, first smile and laugh. Babies are a source of light and hope, a symbol of life. On October 7, Kfir Bibas was only nine months old.”
“In the last three months, he has been held in the darkness of Hamas tunnels,” he said. ”A quarter of his life has been spent in captivity; he was kidnapped before he even learned how to say 'Mom.' Little baby Kfir has become a symbol of the utmost cruelty known to humanity — Hamas’ cruelty. Tragically, he is celebrating his first birthday while still in captivity."
"Is he receiving the nourishment and vitamins he needs in order to grow and develop? Is he crawling? How can an infant become a target in war? What kind of monsters can intentionally capture and treat a baby as an enemy? It’s very distressing that a baby is taken captive by terrorists.”
“Instead of receiving love and warmth, Kfir is surrounded by pure evil, but worse of all, is that the pain of a small and innocent infant is simply forgotten by the UN as if it never happened. For God’s sake, this baby will celebrate his first birthday in captivity!"
At the end of his speech, Erdan called on the assembly’s president: "I as that Kfir's birthday cake remain here as a painful reminder so that every speaker today remembers Kfir and our duty to bring him home," he said. "I will continue to remind you of your moral duty to fight for Kfir and his right to celebrate his birthday."
Robert Wood, Deputy U.S. Ambassador and the American representative at the UN, followed Erdan and praised the "decision calling to take meaningful steps that will allow access to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza."
He stated that "the United States is committed to working with other countries to solve this crisis" and that "this effort supports the diplomacy on which the U.S. is working with for the release of the hostages."