Palestinian ambassador, Riyad Mansour speaking at a press conference at the United Nations in New York

Riyad Mansour, Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations.

Riyad Mansour: “Palestinian representative to the UN: ‘We are not subhumans'”

Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour speaking at the UN  discuss the latest conflict on October 8, 2023

(Note: I have been getting a fair number of calls, emails about the current Palestinian military offensive into Southern Israel from the Gaza Strip, an area which is the largest open air prison in the world. It impossible for me to respond personally from all these inquiries from family and friends. I had thought about writing a blog entry about the current situation – which remains fluid – and then I saw Riyad Mansour’s, Palestinian United Nations Ambassador’s press conference which was aired on Al Jazeera and decided to post it instead.

A personal note: I knew and worked with Riyad Mansour a long time ago before he became United Nations ambassador, It was a pleasure to work with him – as I recall – throughout the 1970s and a bit into the 1980s. I had lunch with him and another friend, a Saudi, about five years ago in Manhattan and he was as sharp – and humane – as ever. RJP)