Anne Bayefsky, the head of the UN watchdog organization Human Rights Voices, together with pro-Israel blogger Elder of Ziyon, produced a video explaining why the UN cannot effectively fight or even properly identify terrorism. The representatives of many Arab and Muslim nations insist that violence against Israeli civilians cannot be defined as terrorism.
The video documents the statements of the representatives of the Muslim nations condoning terror against Israel at a UN meeting on fighting terrorism which took place last month; according to those nations, attacks on Israel and its citizens fall under the category of "legitimate struggles for self-determination."
The meeting was conducted by the UN Sixth Committee. Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon was elected the Chairperson of the committee in June.
The representative of Iran said: “Terrorism should not be equated with the legitimate struggle of peoples under colonial or alien domination and foreign occupation, for self-determination and national liberation.”
The representative of Qatar said: “We have to distinguish between terrorism and legitimate self-defense. This applies particularly to people in countries that are occupied."
The representative of Libya said: “We also should differentiate between what is considered a terrorist act subject to international criminalization and the legitimate struggle of peoples for self-determination and resisting foreign occupation.”
The representative of Saudi Arabia said: “The group reiterates the need to make a distinction between terrorism and the exercise of legitimate right of peoples to resist foreign occupation."
The representative of Syria said: “There needs to be ...a clear definition of terrorism which draws a distinction between terrorism and the right of persons, peoples, to self-determination."
The representative of the Palestinian Authority said: “We believe that the need to fight terrorism...should therefore not be undermined by attempts to exploit the legitimate fight against terrorism to suppress the right of self-determination of peoples, notably those under colonial or alien domination and foreign occupation.”