Sunday marks the 40th anniversary of the UN's adoption of the infamous “Zionism is Racism” resolution – and the magnificent speech by former President Haim Herzog that presented Israel's rejection of the resolution. A special event was held in the President's House Sunday night to commemorate the event.
At the event, Herzog's son, Mike, along with his brother Yitzchak, chairman of the Zionist Union, spoke the topic of the delegitimization of Israel, the theme of the UN resolution, in the presence of other ministers, MKs, diplomats, and guests.
United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3379 was adopted by a vote of 72 to 35 with 32 abstentions, and said that “Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination.” In response, Herzog pointed out how the date chosen for the resolution's passing – November 10, 1975 – was the 37th anniversary of Kristallnacht.
“For us, the Jewish people, this is but a passing episode in a rich and an event-filled history. We put our trust in our Providence, in our faith and beliefs, in our time-hallowed tradition, in our striving for social advance and human values, and in our people wherever they may be. For us, the Jewish people, this resolution, based on hatred, falsehood and arrogance, is devoid of any moral or legal value. For us, the Jewish people, this I s no more than a piece of paper, and we shall treat it as such,” Herzog intoned.
Speaking at the event, President Reuven Rivlin discussed the recent terror attacks, at home and abroad . “Israel and the free world now face a world where the war front is exactly the opposite of where it should be. The front is now at home, and it threatens civilians in Mali, Paris, Brussels, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Gush Etzion,” said Rivlin, naming locales where terror attacks have taken place in just the past few weeks. “We cannot allow terror to dictate our lives,” he said.
“I am proud that we have not shut down our city in the wake of terror threats,” as Brussels and Paris had, said Rivlin. “With that, we shall not rest until we restore quiet to the streets of Israel, until the entire world recognizes the enemy and fights it wherever it flees. We, the citizens of Israel, will not bend,” he added.