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April 15, 2002
Orthodox Union Condemns UN Vote
Criticizes European Endorsement
The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, the nation’s largest Orthodox Jewish synagogue organization, today condemned an anti-Israel resolution passed this week by the UN Commission on Human Rights currently taking place in Geneva. The resolution condones the establishment of a Palestinian state by “all available means, including armed struggle,” language that is understood at the UN to justify Palestinian terror attacks against Israel. It was passed by a vote of 40 in favor, five opposed, with seven abstentions.
The European nations voting for the resolution included Austria, Belgium, France, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden. Croatia, Italy and Poland abstained. “The fact that so many of our European allies voted for this resolution condoning terrorism is deplorable,” said Betty Ehrenberg, Director of International and Communal Affairs, “and those countries that abstained are demonstrating a tacit agreement with this endorsement of terror. We commend Canada, the Czech Republic, Germany, Guatemala, and the United Kingdom, those countries that refused to succumb to yet another insidious UN anti-Israel expression.”
Israel did not ask for this war but was compelled to defend herself against the repeated murderous attacks on her citizens. The cynicism and hypocrisy of the United Nations are again evident in its labeling of Israel’s attempt to rout out the refuge camps of terrorists “in total disregard of international human rights.” As Israel arrested Palestinian terrorists during its operation, Israel uncovered illegal stores of weapons and bomb factories. Not once did a UN official condemn the existence of these bomb factories, mines, mortars, and missiles in the UNWRA-managed camps. Not only does today’s resolution contradict UN Resolutions 1397 and 1402 which demand an “immediate cessation of all acts of violence, including all acts of terror,” it negates Kofi Annan’s declaration that “the killing of innocent civilians violates international law…that of course, applies also to suicide bombings aimed at civilians, which are as morally repugnant as they are politically harmful.”
Following in the shameful steps of the UN World Conference on Racism that took place in Durban, the UN Human Rights Commission has lost its moral compass and has become another instrument of Israel-bashing. If the UN wants to retain its integrity, it cannot submit to being manipulated by anti-Israel forces into endorsing and covering up terrorism.
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