Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations was briefly detained by security on Tuesday for protesting during the Iranian president’s speech.
Gilad Erdan held up a photo of Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old Iranian woman who was killed while in the custody of Tehran’s morality police after being arrested for not covering enough of her hair.
Erdan walked silently towards the stage, holding the sign above his head. On it was written: ‘Iranian women deserve freedom now!’
Ebrahim Raisi, the president of Iran, did not appear to notice Erdan, who then left the chamber and was later held by UN security.
Gilad Erdan, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, is seen on Tuesday protesting while Iran’s president speaks
Erdan walked towards the stage holding up his sign
Some of the other delegates turned to look and see what was happening, as Erdan walked to the stage – in defiance of protocol
Ebrahim Raisi, the president of Iran , did not appear to notice Erdan
Erdan later tweeted the UN was guilty of ‘moral distortions’ for giving a platform to Raisi, who has presided over a brutal crackdown on protest in his own country.
Erdan, ambassador since 2020, accused the UN of having rolled out the red carper ‘for murderers and antisemites’.
‘When President Raisi of Iran, the ‘Butcher of Tehran,’ began his speech, I waved a picture of Mahsa Amini, the innocent Iranian woman who was brutally murdered by the regime one year ago for not wearing a hijab ‘properly’,’ tweeted Erdan.
‘Meanwhile, outside the UN hundreds of Iranians were protesting, begging for help from the international community. I will never stop fighting for the truth and I will always expose the UN’s moral distortions.
‘Those who roll out the red carpet for murderers and antisemites must be held accountable for their actions!’
Photos obtained by Fox News showed him being escorted by UN security after leaving the room.
‘I left the speech to make it clear that the State of Israel stands by the Iranian people,’ said Erdan, according to a statement sent to Reuters by Israel’s mission to the United Nations.
Mahsa Amini, 22, died in September 2022 in custody of Iran’s morality police, who accused her of allowing her hijab to slip
People gather to mark the first anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini in Lafayette Square, Washington DC, on September 16
Erdan filmed a video earlier on Tuesday in front of a protest against Iran’s rulers
Erdan had earlier filmed a video in front of a shrine to victims of the Iranian regime’s repression.
Tuesday was the first anniversary of Iran’s nationwide uprisings that started last September, following the death of Amini.
He declared that Israel stood in solidarity with those persecuted by the ‘ruthless’ government in Tehran, and again criticized the UN for allowing Raisi to speak.
‘The world must wake up and listen to the voices of innocent Iranians! The Ayatollah regime must be held accountable for their crimes and pay the price!’ he wrote on X.
‘The people of Israel stand with the people of Iran.’
Raisi, in a provocative speech, told the gathered world leaders that his country will not withdraw from its ‘obvious right for peaceful use of nuclear’ technology, and urged the United States to return to the 2015 nuclear deal.
He reiterated that a nuclear arsenal has ‘no room’ in Iran’s military doctrine.
Raisi also urged the U.S. to return to nuclear deal by showing good will through ‘trust-building policy.’
In 2018, U.S. President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the deal and imposed more sanctions.
The remarks came a day after Iran and the U.S. freed prisoners of both sides who were in jails for years.
The U.S. also allowed Iran to have access to nearly $6 billion in frozen assets. The Americans arrived home on Tuesday.
