ISRAELI OFFICIALS NOT INVITED TO UN MIDDLE EAST PEACE SEMINAR:

The United Nations Public Information Department recently held an International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East in Pretoria, South Africa, but neglected to invite any official Israeli representatives, according to Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon. Film directors, journalists, politicians, academics and experts in a variety of fields were invited to the three-day seminar to explore "new ways to narrate the complex and evolving story of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict." Despite the notable lack of Israeli officials, the Palestinian representative to the United Nations and former Palestinian ambassador to the EU participated extensively in the seminar. "The vast majority of the speakers at the seminar are known for having anti-Israel stances," Danon said, adding that BDS activists played a significant role in the event. In a letter to the UN secretary-general, Danon, who was not invited to the seminar, stressed that such events damage the UN's integrity. (Israel HaYom)