Trump administration could pave way to defunding UN, Gilad Erdan tells 'Post' Summit
Speaking on his new role with Magen David Adom, Erdan said strengthening the emergency response service is how Israel "foils the strategy" of its enemies.
Gilad Erdan, who served as the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations from 2020 until May of this year, told The Jerusalem Post Miami Summit that the incoming Trump administration could provide an opportunity to defund the international body over its anti-Israel biases.
Erdan, who has taken the helm of Magen David Adom's emergency response efforts since leaving his post at the UN, said the organization was founded to prevent atrocities and defend human rights and that "today it does the opposite."
"Since October 7, none of the UN bodies condemned Hamas and the massacre," according to Erdan. "It took them almost one year to have even one discussion on how to help...expedite the release of our hostages."
He said the UN's budget is $75 billion per year, with its biggest funders contributing almost $20 billion.
"We shouldn't be paying for an organization that, instead of strengthening the values that we hold dear, is doing exactly the opposite, and weakening ourselves and our values and helping the terrorists and rogue states like Iran," Erdan added.
Strong emergency services
Speaking on his new role with Magen David Adom, Erdan said strengthening the emergency response service is how Israel "foils the strategy" of its enemies. The service has had a huge impact on Israel's national resilience, he said.
"Magen David Adom is one of the most advanced and technological emergency medical services in the world," he said. "And if we want to strengthen the future of Israel, we have to continue and support it."