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r i c a , , ; . , . - .
I N T E R N A T I O N A L O R G A N I Z A T I O N S O I V I S I O N
A N T I -J E W I S H I N C I T E M E N T A T T H E UN
I t i s a t r a gi c i r o n y t ha t t he Un i t e d N a t i o n s , fo u n de d t o f r e e t he
w o r l d o f t he r a ci a l and r e l i gi o u s ha t r e d t ha t pa ve d t he w a y f o r Wo r l d
War I I , now pr o vi de s a pl a t f o r m f o r ha t e pr o pa ga n da .
The UN Cha r t e r pr o cl a i m s t he "de t e r m i n a t i o n " o f pe o pl e s o f t he
w o r l d "t o pr a ct i ce t o l e r a n ce . " The I n t e r n a t i o n a l Co ve n a n t on Ci vi l and
P o l i t i ca l R i ght s m an date s t he "pr o hi bi t i o n by l a w " o f "a n y a dvo ca cy o f
n a t i o n a l , r a ci a l o r r e l i gi o u s ha t r e d t ha t co n s t i t u t e s i n ci t e m e n t t o
di s cr i m i n a t i o n , ho s t i l i t y o r vi o l e n ce " (Ar t . 2 0 ). The I n t e r n a t i o n a l
Co n ve n t i o n o n t he E l i m i n a t i o n o f Al l Fo rm s o f R a ci a l Di s cr i m i n a t i o n
r e qu i r e s S t a t e P a r t i e s t o de cl a r e a pu n i s ha bl e o f f e n s e "a l l di s s e m i n a -
t i o n o f i de a s ba s e d o n r a ci a l . . . ha t r e d. " The UNESCODe cl a r a t i o n o n
R ace a n d R a ci a l P r e ju di ce ca l l s o n "a l l o r ga n i z e d gr o u ps w i t hi n
n a t i o n a l co m m u n i t i e s . . . "t o r e f r a i n "f r o m pr e s e n t i n g a s t e r e o t ype d,
pa r t i a l , u n i l a t e r a l o r t e n de n t i o u s pi ct u r e o f i n di vi du a l s a n d o f
va r i o u s gr o u ps " (Ar t . 5 (3)), a n d o n "i n t e r n a t i o n a l o r ga n i z a t i o n s ,
w he the r u n i ve r s a l o r r e gi o n a l , go ve r n m e n t a l o r n o n - go ve r n m e n t a l . . . t o
co - o pe r a t e a n d a s s i s t . . . i n t he f u l l a n d co m ple t e i m pl e m e n t a t i o n " o f
t hi s go a l "s o t ha t a l l pe o ple s o f t he w o r l d may be f o r e ve r de l i ve r e d
f r o m t he s e s co u r ge s " (Ar t . 1 0 ).
I n cl e a r vi o l a t i o n o f t he s e i n t e r n a t i o n a l n o r m s , a t t he 1983UN
Ge n e r a l As s e m bl y, t he r e pr e s e n t a t i ve s o f L i bya , I r a q, S yr i a a n d
Be l o r u s s i a di r e ct e d a ga i n s t Je w s de r o ga t o r y cha r a ct e r i z a t i o n s and
t hr e a t s w hich r e m in de d l i s t e n e r s o f t he the m e s an d r he t o r i c o f t he N a z i
e r a . On Decem ber 8, 1 983, Dr . Al i Tr e i k i , P e rm an e n t R e pr e s e n t a t i ve o f
L i bya , a ccu s e d "Je w i s h Zi o n i s t s he r e i n t he Un i t e d S t a t e s " o f a t t e m pt -
i n g "t o de s t r o y Am e r i ca n s . " "I s i t n o t t he Jew s who a r e e xpl o i t i n g t he
Am e r i ca n pe o pl e a n d t r yi n g t o de ba s e t he m ?" Dr . Tr e i k i co n t i n u e d
(A/38/71 3).
>
The r e pr e s e n t a t i ve o f L i bya was n o t a l o n e i n m a k in g t he s e r e m a r k s .
The P e r m a n e n t R e pr e s e n t a t i ve o f I r a n , Mr . R a ja i e - Kho r a s s a n i , ha d
a l r e a dy e xpr e s s e d, o n 2 N o ve m be r 1 983, w i t h r e f e r e n ce t o I s r a e l , hi s
hope "t ha t t he Mo s le m co u n t r i e s i n t he a r e a w i l l s o o n co n s i de r t he
f i n a l s o l u t i o n " (A/38/P V. 4 2 , pp. 5 3- 5 5 ). "The f i n a l s o l u t i o n " was t he
N a z i co de -n am e f o r t he ge n o cide pe r pe t r a t e d a ga i n s t t he Jews o f E u r o pe
du r i n g t he S econd Wo r ldWa r.
Un f o r t u n a t e l y, t hi s t ype o f a n t i - Je w i s h i n ci t e m e n t i s n o t new i n
t he UN , and i s n o t co n f i n e d t o t he Ge n e r a l As s e m bly (s e e a ppe n de d n o t e
f o r f u r t he r e xa m pl e s ).
- 2 -
I t i s e a s y t o u pho l d ci vi l i t y in international discourse and,
co n cu r r e n t l y, t o cr i t i ci z e I s r a e l i government policies. Suchcriticism
i s n o t u n de r co n s i de r a t i o n . The statements i n question picture the
Je w is h pe o pl e , t he Je w is h S t a t e and Zi o n i s m as sinister forces whose
pu r po s e s a r e N a z i - l i k e ge n o ci de , o bl i t e r a t i o n of other cultures, and
e co n o m ic m a n i pu l a t i o n . Thi s r he t o r i c u n qu e s t i o n a bl y e n co u r a ge s
ho s t i l i t y t o w a r d Je w s , and i s ca l cu l a t e d t o pave t he way f o r I s r a e l 's
e xpu l s i o n fr o m t he UN and t o pr o vi de a r a t i o n a l e f o r s e e k i n g I s r a e l 's
phys i ca l de s t r u ct i o n .
R e gr e t t a bl y, t he UN r e pr e s e n t a t i ve s o f de m o cr a t ic co u n t r i e s have
re m a in e d s i l e n t on t he i s s u e o f a n t i - Je w i s h i n ci t e m e n t . The r e pr e s e n -
t a t i ve s o f I s r a e l a n d t he Un i t e d S t a t e s a l o n e ha ve s po k e n o u t t o
condemn s u ch s pe e ch.
Such i n ci t e m e n t , w hich vi o l a t e s UN Cha r t e r pu rpo s e s and e n co u ra ge s
co n f l i ct be tw e e n pe o pl e s , di s cr e di t s t he UN , a n d l e a ve s t he o r ga n i -
z a t i o n u n a bl e t o s e r ve t he a im s f o r w hi ch i t was cr e a t e d. Some
go ve rn m e n t r e pr e s e n t a t i ve s r a t i o n a l i z e t he i r s i l e n ce by cl a i m i n g t ha t
r a ci s t s t a t e m e n t s a r e u t t e r e d by t he f a n a t i ca l f e w . Y e t Ado l f H i t l e r 's
r i s e t o pow er t e a che s t ha t w i l d r a ci s t pl a n s ca n becom e t r a gi ca l l y
r e a l , and t ha t s i l e n ce pro m pts i n ci t e r s t o m ore br a z e n a ct s .
I t i s i m pe r a t i ve t ha t t he UN S e cr e t a r y Ge n e r a l a n d, e qu a l l y
i m po r t a n t , r e pr e s e n t a t i ve s o f co n ce rn e d s t a t e s , r a i s e t he i r vo i ce s i n
pr o t e s t a ga i n s t a n t i - Je w i s h i n ci t e m e n t a t t he UN.
- 3 -
A PPE N DIX
The f o l l o w i n g i 3 a s a m pl i n g of anti-J ewish statements made i n UN
f o r u m s
UN Ge n e r a l As s e m bly
Dr . Al i Tr e i k i , L i bya , Decem ber 8, 1 983:
"The t i m e ha s com e f o r t he Un i t e d N a t i o n s t o s t r i ve t o s a ve t he
pe o pl e s o f t he w o r l d f r o m t hi s r a ci s t e n t i t y [ I s r a e l ] , I t i s hi gh t i m e
f o r t he Un i t e d N a t i o n s an d t he Un i t e d S t a t e s , i n pa r t i cu l a r , t o r e a l i z e
t ha t t he Je w i s h Zi o n i s t s he r e i n t he Un i t e d S t a t e s a t t e m pt t o de s t r o y
Am e r i ca n s . L o o k a r o u n d New Y o r k . Who a r e t he o w n e r s o f po r n o gr a phi c
f i l m o pe r a t i o n s an d ho u s e s ? I s i t n o t t he Jew s who a r e e xpl o i t i n g t he
Am e r ica n pe o pl e an d t r yi n g t o de ba s e the m ? I f we s u cce e d i n e l i m i n a t i n g
t ha t e n t i t y, we s ha l l by t he same t o k e n s a ve t he Am e r i ca n a n d E u r o pe a n
pe o pl e s .
"We ho pe t ha t t he da y w i l l s o o n come w hen we ca n e r a di ca t e t hi s
a f f r o n t , t hi s a be r r a t i o n o f hi s t o r y w hi ch we co m m i t t e d w hen we a cce pt e d
w i t hi n o u r Or ga n i z a t i o n t hi s ba n d o f cr i m i n a l s , m e r ce n a r i e s a n d
t e r r o r i s t s " (A/38/P V. 88, pp. 19 an d 2 0 ).
Mr . Ve l a ya t i , I r a n , S e pt e m be r 30 , 1 983: "The r e i s n o cu r e f o r t he
ca n ce r o u s gr o w t h o f Zi o n i s m bu t s u r ge r y. " (A/38/P V. 1 3, p. 4 1 ).
Mr . H o s e i n L a t i f y, I r a n , De ce m be r 1 9, 1 983: "The Zi o n i s t e n t i t y . . .
s ho u l d be re m o ve d l i k e a ca n ce r o u s t u m o r . " (A/38/P V. 1 0 2 , p. 4 7).
Mr . Ada m i , S yr i a , Oct o be r 1 4 , 1 981 , Fo u r t h Co m m i t t e e , t o l d "w ha t he
ca l l e d a 'Je w i s h s t o r y* o f a man w ho w e n t t o hi s r a bbi t o e n t e r t he
bi r t hda t e o f ."his s o n . The man a s k e d w hi ch da t e he s ho u l d gi ve , l a s t
ye a r o r t hi s ye a r . Why n o t gi ve t he t r u e da t e , t he r a bbi a s k e d t he
m a n . ' I di dn 't t hi n k o f t ha t ,
1
t he f a t he r a n s w e r e d. The S yr i a n
de l e ga t e s a i d t he s t o r y po r t r a ye d t he 'Je w i s h m e n t a l i t y o f t he Zi o n i s t
de l e ga t e '. " (Un i t e d N a t i o n s P r e s s R e l e a s e GA/T/2 2 35 0 o f Oct o be r 1 4
1 981 , p. 8. )
Mr . N u s e i be h, Jo r da n , Ma rch 1 6 , 1 979, S e cu r i t y Co u n ci l : "H a s t he w o r l d
be e r i po l a r i z e d i n t o a n o m n i po t e n t r a ce a n d s u bs e r vi e n t Ge n t i l e s bo r n
i n t o t hi s w o r l d t o s e r ve t he a i m s o f t he 'm a s t e r r a ce '? We , t he
Ge n t i l e s , a r e s e ve r a l bi l l i o n human s o u l s , a n d ye t how much w e i ght , I
w o n de r , do we ca r r y i n t he co u n ci l s o f some o f t he m i ght y?" (A/P V2 1 2 8,
p. 6 3. )
- 4 -
Mr . N u s e i be h, J ordan, December 8, 1980: "People like Lord R othschild
e ve r y da y, i n i r o n - cl a d secrecy, decide and flash round the world how
hi gh t he pr i ce of gold should be on each particular day . . . . T he United
S t a t e s . . . ha s a national income of upwards of $2,000 billion pe r
a n n u m , a n d, w hi l e m i l l i o n s of hard-working, God-fearing A mericans a r e
u n e m pl o ye d, t he Zi o n i s t s o w n a l i o n ' s s ha r e o f that great a bu n da n ce . "
(A/35 /P V. 86 , pp. 38- 4 0 . )
UN Human R ights Commission
M r . M a r c e l E l M ay, L e a g u e of A rab S t a t e s , February 8, 1984, accused
Z ionism and I srael of 'mobilizing forces toward a genocidal campaign."
(HR 1476)
M r . S oud A bdallah, S yria, February 8, 1984, termed Z ionism a "form of
racism bringing war and suffering," and characterized the goals of the
Jewish state as "real genocide" and "to destroy the historical heritage
of the A rab population." (HR 1476)
Mr. S alem Fanes, Yemen, February 10, 1984, accused I srael of conducting
a campaign of "physical liquidation and extermination of a collective
basis." (HR 1479)
M r . Bachir O u l d - R o i u s , A l g e r i a , February 10, 1984, accused I srael of
"N azi type repression" including "gas poisoning of school girls" - (HR
1479).
T 046-I R D-UN
/I s
5/14/84
84-570-3