Ex-US envoy secretly helped Israel gain UN committee seats: Report

Leaked correspondence reveals that former US ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power worked secretly with a senior Israeli diplomat to secure the regime’s entry into key UN committees and shield it from criticism.

Documents suggest that Power, who served as US ambassador to the UN under President Barack Obama, coordinated behind the scenes with Israeli diplomat Ron Prosor to strengthen Israel’s standing in the international body.

The emails, reportedly obtained by the Handala hacking group, highlight how Power actively supported Israel’s admission to influential UN committees and defended it against scrutiny, even as the regime faced widespread criticism over its colonial policies in the occupied Palestinian territories.

One exchange from November 2013 shows Prosor thanking Power for her role in helping Israel join the UN’s Western European and Others Group (WEOG).

He described the outcome as “a Hanukkah miracle” and said her efforts would “always carry your figure [sic] print on it.” Power replied that the move was “so overdue and so ridiculous that it has taken this long.”

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In October 2015, shortly after Prosor left his post, Power informed him that Israel had won a seat on the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.

She called the 117–1 vote “HUGE!!” and referred to the success as “our last plot.” Prosor responded with gratitude, writing, “I am so happy that with your unwavering support we got it through the UN system.”

The correspondence also points to personal ties between the two diplomats. Prosor invited Power to visit Israel, hinting at an academic speaking engagement. Months later, she appeared in Tel Aviv at a model UN conference, where she criticized what she called the UN’s “bias” against Israel.

Beyond committee placements, the emails show Israel using Power as a channel for intelligence on Syria.

In September 2013, Prosor told her that Israel had passed “technical information” on Syria’s chemical arsenal to US officials. Power thanked him for providing a simplified version of the data, saying it was “extremely helpful” as Washington weighed possible responses.

Other messages reveal Israel’s reliance on US backing at the UN. In February 2014, on the eve of a Security Council session critical of Israeli settlements, Prosor urgently sought to reach Power.

Later, during Israel’s 2014 war in Gaza, he sent her an article blaming then–Secretary of State John Kerry for escalating the conflict.

By 2015, as nuclear talks with Iran concluded, Power resumed close coordination with Israeli diplomats.

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One email she forwarded assured Prosor that Israel would not be listed in a UN report on violations against children in armed conflict, despite documented casualties in Gaza.

The exchanges also show Prosor pressing Power to lobby UN officials on behalf of an Israeli candidate for a senior post at the UN Population Fund, arguing that citizenship was the only obstacle.

Even after leaving her UN role, Power maintained ties. A 2015 message from American Jewish Committee head David Harris noted a farewell luncheon she hosted in Prosor’s honor.

Since stepping down as USAID administrator in early 2025, Power has publicly criticized Israel’s conduct in Gaza, lamenting that more was not done to end the war sooner. Yet the leaked emails underscore her earlier role in advancing Israel’s influence at the UN while limiting accountability for its actions.

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