Iran On September 17, 2008, Israel's Ambassador to the U.N Gabriela Shalev called D'Escoto an "Israel-hater" because D'Escoto "hugged" Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad after Ahmedinedjad's strongly anti-Israel and anti-Zionist September 2008 speech to the UN General Assembly. D'Escoto's spokesman responded by saying: "He cannot respond to each and every speech made by the leaders of these states." The Israeli ambassador also criticised D'Escoto for attending a dinner marking the end of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan with a number of Middle Eastern leaders, including Ahmadinejad. D'Escoto's spokesman responded by saying: "[D'Escoto] will join the dinner because he believes in dialogue, an issue which he had highlighted, and thinks that he should deal with all member states." Libyan ambassador On March 29, 2011, during the 2011 Libyan civil war, Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa wrote to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, nominating d'Escoto as Libya’s new ambassador to the UN. The letter stated that he was nominated, as Ali Treki, also a former General Assembly president who was Libya's first choice, was denied a visa to enter the United States under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973. US ambassador Susan Rice claimed that he did not possess the proper diplomatic visa to represent Libya and suggested Mussa Kussa's recommendation might be void because of his resignation on March 30 from the Libyan government. Death On June 8, 2017, Brockmann died at the age of 84 after suffering a stroke several months earlier. He was buried in the Cementerio General in Managua. References External links Official Website as president of the UNGA Address to the General Assembly of the United Nations opening the General Debate of the 63rd Session, September 23, 2008 Address to the General Assembly of the United Nations closing the General Debate of the 63rd Session, September 29, 2008 . From The Real News. Published October 11, 2009. Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann discussing the need to reinvent the United Nations interview aired on Democracy Now!, April 26, 2010 Fmr. UN President d’Escoto: "The U.N. Is Beyond Reform, It Has to Be Reinvented" - video by Democracy Now! 1933 births 2017 deaths Politicians from Los Angeles American people of Nicaraguan descent Maryknoll Seminary alumni Maryknoll Fathers Nicaraguan Roman Catholic priests 20th-century American Roman Catholic priests 21st-century American Roman Catholic priests Catholics from California Liberation theologians Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism alumni Book publishers (people) Nicaraguan diplomats Foreign