Israel ambassador to the United Nations, Dan Gillerman will be the next vice president of the United Nations General Assembly, Israeli sources reported on Tuesday.
The source also said that Gillerman, was unanimously elected to the new post on Monday to be the second Israeli to occupy this post after Abba Eban who assumed the role in the early 1950s.
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Gillerman was the candidate of the Western nations, a bloc containing some 30 states, including members of the European Union, Canada, Australia and the United States.
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Speaking of his election, Gillerman regarded this as a historic moment for Israel.
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‘This is an important and historical moment for the State of Israel, both in essence and in timing,’ said Gillerman.
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The vice president is an important post.  In the absence of the president, he will be responsible for running General Assembly discussions. The vice President is also a member of the committee that decides on the assembly’s daily agenda.
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Local observers believe that the election of an Israeli envoy resulted from Israeli diplomatic efforts and American pressure.
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Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, last week met with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to discuss the issue.
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A recent Congress bill, in which the United States demanded several reforms from the U.N., the US slammed the U.N. for the fact that Israel is not represented in the U.N. Security Council, and that it does not occupy any position in Human Rights programs, and vowed that it will work to grant Israel full membership.
