Israel's UN envoy walks out of Security Council meeting in protest

United Nations, April 26 (IANS) Israel's Ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan walked out of a Security Council meeting in protest.

Erdan said he was outraged by the Council's refusal to re-schedule Tuesday's debate on the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, as Tuesday marked Yom HaZikaron, or Memorial Day, for fallen Israeli soldiers, reports Xinhua news agency.

Israel made numerous requests to re-schedule the debate, but the Security Council refused to budge, he said.

"The decision to nonetheless hold this debate on today -- of all days -- only further proves what Israelis already know and feel about this biased organisation," the envoy was quoted as saying.

Erdan said he could not participate in Tuesday's debate, which he called an "absurd farce", on Israel's Memorial Day.

He read out a list of names, which he said were those of fallen Israeli soldiers in the past year, and lit what appeared to be an electric candle in their memory.

"This debate disgraces the fallen and Israel will not take part in it," he said.

With those words, he walked out of the Security Council chamber, together with three Israeli officials.

Memorial Day for the Fallen Soldiers of the Wars of Israel and Victims of Actions of Terrorism is the country's official remembrance day, enacted into law in 1963.

While Yom HaZikaron has been traditionally dedicated to fallen soldiers, commemoration has also been extended to civilian victims of terrorism.

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