Israel's ambassador the the UN, Ron Prosor speech on the occasion of the General Assembly debate on "The Question of Palestine."

Mr. President,

A great Jewish sage once wrote, “The truth can hurt like a thorn, at first; but in the end it blossoms like a rose.”

His words came to my mind today. His insight could really benefit many in this hall.

There is no question that Hamas and other terrorists in Gaza deliberately target civilians.

Thank you, Mr. President, for convening this important debate.

I would like to thank the Secretary-General for his remarks, and all others the speakers who set the stage for today's discussion.

We sit here this morning in New York to discuss the vital importance of protecting civilians in armed conflict, as rockets continue to rain down on more than one million men, women and children in southern Israel.

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The Palestinians, in another ploy to unilaterally gain statehood without negotiations, successfully lobbied for membership to the United Nation’s cultural and scientific body during a meeting in Paris today.

The Palestinian drive for United Nations membership may be resolved in the upcoming week, say diplomatic sources.

The United States has promised to veto the application, which has been under review in the Security Council for over a month. But Washington hopes to avoid casting such a stop sign.

The State Department is counting on the Palestinian Authority move receiving less than the required nine votes for Security Council approval, making a U.S. veto unnecessary.