The God of Israel saved His people from attempted genocide in ancient Persia, as the Bible tells us — and the modern Israeli ambassador to the United Nations (UN) wants current violent anti-Semites to remember that.
Speaking to a UN Council, Israel’s UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan said, in a clip posted to Twitter/X, “Tomorrow, dear colleagues, the Jewish people will celebrate the holiday of Purim, and this holiday is a very important message to the murderous Ayatollah regime [of Iran] and the rest of the world.” This is not the first time a powerful Persian has tried to ensure destruction of the Jews, as Erdan explained: “1500 years ago, in Persia, which is modern-day Iran, the king signed a disastrous decree, a resolution calling to annihilate all the Jews in his empire.” The slogan for the holiday of Purim is “and the opposite happened,” Erdan continued. “Those who plotted against the Jewish people had their own schemes turned against them.”
Purim is rooted in the historical events related in the book of Esther, included in both Jewish and Christian Bibles. The beautiful Hadassah was selected to be Queen of Persia, but concealed her Jewish identity and took the name Esther on the advice of her uncle Mordecai. The arrogant royal official Haman plotted the annihilation not only of pious Mordecai but of the whole Jewish population in Persia. Esther, however, bolstered by prayer, interceded with her husband King Xerxes (or Assuerus) and saved her people. Haman and his ilk were killed instead, and the feast of Purim still commemorates how the Jews escaped massacre and instead conquered their enemies.
Purim 2024 is today, March 24 (starting the evening of March 23). In his pre-Purim comments, Erdan indicated the UN Council cares more about the Muslim holiday of Ramadan than it does about Jewish holidays. It is particularly disturbing that the UN should be demanding concessions from Israel for Ramadan considering that it is the Muslim Gazan jihadis who are the aggressors in this conflict, not to mention Ramadan is used every year by Islamic jihadis as an excuse for increased terrorism.
“Members of this council called for a ceasefire in honor of the Muslim holiday of Ramadan,” Erdan said. “We respect Ramadan, but Hamas’s massacre was carried out on the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah.” He was referring to the Oct. 7 atrocities, which occurred on Simchat Torah.
Erdan continued, “So today, in [honor] of Purim, the request of the Jewish people is that this council takes real—real and active measures to release all of our hostages.” It is disturbing but perhaps not surprising that the UN cares more for jihad-loving Gazans than the Israeli hostages. After all, UNRWA employees actively participated in the Oct. 7 atrocities and the UNRWA agency is deeply tied to Hamas.
Erdan ended, “And if we are successful, if the hostages return home and Hamas is dismantled, then, just as it says in the Megillah, the text that we read on Purim…‘the Jewish people had light and joy, gladness, happiness, and honor’ for us and all humanity.”
May God bless all those celebrating Purim today, and give victory to Israel over its enemies.