(Communicated by the Knesset)

During a meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in New York on Friday, August 28, 2015, Knesset Speaker Yuli-Yoel Edelstein expressed Israel's concern about the nuclear deal with Iran, saying, "You don't have to like Israel, and criticism is permitted and necessary, but one cannot threaten to annihilate it."

Edelstein, who was in New York for the Fourth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament at the UN, expressed outrage that a foreign affairs advisor to Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani recently said, "Our positions against the usurper Zionist regime have not changed at all; Israel should be annihilated and this is our ultimate slogan."

Larijani's advisor, Hussein Sheikholeslam, made the comment after British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani had indicated a "more nuanced approach" to Israel's existence. Hammond was in Iran on Monday for the reopening of the UK embassy in Tehran.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon responded that the world powers' deal with Iran is good, even if it is not perfect. "There are no perfect agreements," he stated. "I believe that the lengthy negotiations brought a good agreement." Ban suggested that the international community follow former US President Ronald Reagan's call to "trust but verify" that the terms of the deal are followed.

He further told Edelstein that he is concerned about the lack of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. "You must sit and talk. I am very concerned about the crime, the violence and the provocations in east Jerusalem and the West Bank. The Middle East needs security and both sides have an interest to improve the situation. That will only happen through dialogue," Ban said.

Edelstein responded that talks must first take place between peoples and parliaments without negotiating peace and borders. "The two sides have joint interests and we must ensure a good life for future generations," he said. "We must cooperate on topics such as water sources, the environment and agriculture, and only in that way can we build a strong basis for peace."

Edelstein thanked Ban for announcing that the organization plans to recognize Yom Kippur as an official Israeli holiday and close the UN on that day. "This is a very holy day for the Jewish people. Beyond the justified and important gesture, I think this sends a message that the organization that you lead is recognizing the Jewish people's rights," he told Ban.

The Inter-Parliamentary Union's Fourth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament, to be held at the UN between August 31 and September 2 will be attended by some 180 parliamentary leaders from nearly 140 countries. The conference will focus on examining ways to effectively tackle global challenges to peace and democracy.

During his address to the conference, Edelstein will present his flagship ”Green Knesset” project and will call on his counterparts to cooperate with Israel on issues related to the environment, as well as on regional projects related to sustainable agriculture, water food protection and more.