Israeli lawyer receives rare promotion to top UN post

From the Israeli government to the U.N., attorney David Scharia appointed as top counterterrorism lawyer for U.N.Security Council • Scharia will oversee a team of 12 international lawyers • Posting is rare for Israeli in U.N.

Israel Hayom Staff

"I am very proud to welcome a very talented Israeli into the U.N.'s senior ranks," said Israel's U.N. ambassador Ron Prosor.
Photo credit: AP



"I am very proud to welcome a very talented Israeli into the U.N.'s senior ranks," said Israel's U.N. ambassador Ron Prosor.


Dr. David Scharia, 43, a former senior official in the attorney-general's office, has been appointed legal coordinator for the executive directorate of the U.N. Security Council's Counter Terrorism Committee, making him the only Israeli in a senior security position within the U.N. Secretariat.


According to The Washington Post, the appointment is newsworthy because it is rare for Israelis to rise through the ranks of the U.N. "The organization helped give birth to Israel, but the recent history between the country and the U.N. has been contentious," The Washington Post reported.


"I am very proud to welcome a very talented Israeli into the U.N.'s senior ranks," Israel's U.N. Ambassador Ron Prosor said on Wednesday. "One of my priorities is to bring many more bright minds from the Holy Land into the U.N.'s halls, where Israelis have long been under-represented."


In the past, Scharia represented counterterrorism cases on behalf of the state before the Israeli Supreme Court. He has been working at the U.N. since September 2005.


David Scharia will oversee a team of 12 international legal experts who advise the 15-nation Security Council on its counterterrorism efforts.