United Nations ambassadors from some 30 countries came together this week to celebrate what is believed to be the first official Passover Seder inside the UN headquarters in New York.

Pesach, or Passover, officially begins at sunset on Friday.

This historic Passover Seder was co-hosted by the European Coalition for Israel (ECI) and the Permanent Mission of Israel to the UN. It is part of the ongoing ECI’s work at the UN to promote the Jewish holidays in order to honour the Jewish people and their invaluable contribution to world culture and peace. Last year, ECI’s efforts resulted in the recognition of Yom Kippur as an official UN holiday.

The Seder saw participating ministers and UN diplomats, including EU ambassador to the UN, Joao Vale de Almeida, read selected passages from the Haggadah, the Passover text and story which recounts the deliverance of the Jewish People from slavery in Egypt.

It is part of the ongoing ECI’s work at the UN to promote the Jewish holidays in order to honour the Jewish people and their invaluable contribution to world culture and peace. Last year, ECI’s efforts resulted in the recognition of Yom Kippur as an official UN holiday.

During the Seder, Rabbi Elie Abadie, Chief Rabbi at the Edmond Safra Synagogue in New York, and Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, spoke about their own experiences of exodus as their respective families had to flee Egypt and Syria after the creation of Israel.

“The universal message of Passover is that God saved us and made us free. This means that every person is entitled to freedom,” Rabbi Abadie said. His own family received this message of freedom in the form of a telex on the day of Passover in 1971, when Mexico granted them refugee status, after they had been living as stateless people in Lebanon for many years.

As Israel is facing with a critical resolution in the UN Security Council this week, ECI Director for UN affairs,Gregory Lafitte reiterated the story of Esther, which took place during Passover in Persia 2372 years ago. Esther called for a fast in response to Haman’s plot to annihilate the Jewish people.

“Also today, there are reasons to fast as we witness the resurgence of various forms of anti-Semitism around the world,” Lafitte said. Gregory also cited an old Jewish saying, which summarizes Jewish history by stating, “They tried to kill us; we survived; now let us eat.”

In his brief speech, ECI Founding Director Tomas Sandell mentioned the Exodus as an epic event that has inspired social reformers throughout history, such as the civil rights movement in the US in the 1960’s as well as the process of decolonization in Africa and other parts of the world. “Passover is a powerful reminder of how our fate as individuals and nations is ultimately beyond the politics of this world, as we look back at the intervention on behalf of the Jewish people in the Exodus. This is a relevant message for Israel and the nations still to this day,” he said.

A draft resolution expected to be presented at the UN Security Council on Friday, calls Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem and in other disputed territories “illegal” and places a one-year timeframe on reaching a final and comprehensive peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.

On Monday, Israel’s ambassador Danon brought with him to a UN Security Council debate the UN the husband and daughter of Dafna Meir, the 38-year-old woman who was stabbed to death in January by a Palestinian teenager who had forced his way into their home.

As he addressed the debate, Dannon shouted at his Palestinian counterpart Riyad Mansour : “Shame on you for glorying terrorism.”

They sparred orally just as a terrorist attack blew up a bus in Jerusalem wounding 21 passengers.

“We condemn the killing of innocent civilians, including Palestinian civilians. Do you do the same?” Danon asked Mansour. ‘’ “You are naming streets after terrorists,” he added.

He continued, “Condemn all acts of terrorism. You are being translated into five languages. You can say it right now. It’s one sentence but you cannot say it,” said Danon. “Silence can be deafening, but in our region silence kills. It is time for the Palestinian leadership to end their silence, and to start acting as leaders.”

He blamed the Palestinian culture of “hate and constant brainwashing” for the loss of Israeli lives including that of Dafna Meir.

Since the wave of Palestinian attacks against Israelis began in September, 32 people have been killed.