The United Nations Security Council passed a resolution late last night condemning Israel and demanding that IDF troops pull back from Yasser Arafat's Ramallah compound. The United States abstained in the voting and called the resolution one-sided. US Deputy Ambassador to the UN James Cunningham, said that the resolution was "flawed…in that it failed to explicitly condemn those who provide them [the terrorists] with political cover, support and safe haven in perpetuating conflict in the Middle East." Israel's UN Ambassador Yehuda Lancry was disappointed that the US didn't veto the resolution outright. He told Israel radio that the US didn't vote against the resolution so it would not strain relations with European partners as the US seeks support for action against Iraq.
Foreign Minister Shimon Peres told Fox News this afternoon that with all due respect to the UN initiated resolution; "Israel has a reason for being at Arafat's Mukata compound." He said, "every morning--including today--we have warnings about suicide bombers trying to carry out attacks…We want to make sure that our innocent people will not become victims of terrorism. It is our basic right to remain alive. Peres added that Yasser Arafat has not invested a real effort to prevent them [terror attacks].
Herbert Zweibon, Chairman of Americans For a Safe Israel (AFSI), calls the United Nations a “cesspool of bias controlled by third world states.” 'We have seen the hatred spewed out at Israel by the UN at the Durban Conference, and the inordinate number of anti-Israel resolutions formed by these nations united against Israel. Surely this UN cannot be expected to deal justly in regard to "ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict"' read an AFSI statement.
The last time an anti-Israel resolution was approved by an UN body was just last month. In that declaration the UN General Assembly demanded an immediate end to IDF operations in Yesha (Judea, Samaria, and Gaza). The resolution equated PLO-sponsored terrorism with Israel’s anti-terror efforts by demanding an end to "military incursions and all acts of violence, terror, provocation, incitement and destruction..."
Foreign Minister Shimon Peres told Fox News this afternoon that with all due respect to the UN initiated resolution; "Israel has a reason for being at Arafat's Mukata compound." He said, "every morning--including today--we have warnings about suicide bombers trying to carry out attacks…We want to make sure that our innocent people will not become victims of terrorism. It is our basic right to remain alive. Peres added that Yasser Arafat has not invested a real effort to prevent them [terror attacks].
Herbert Zweibon, Chairman of Americans For a Safe Israel (AFSI), calls the United Nations a “cesspool of bias controlled by third world states.” 'We have seen the hatred spewed out at Israel by the UN at the Durban Conference, and the inordinate number of anti-Israel resolutions formed by these nations united against Israel. Surely this UN cannot be expected to deal justly in regard to "ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict"' read an AFSI statement.
The last time an anti-Israel resolution was approved by an UN body was just last month. In that declaration the UN General Assembly demanded an immediate end to IDF operations in Yesha (Judea, Samaria, and Gaza). The resolution equated PLO-sponsored terrorism with Israel’s anti-terror efforts by demanding an end to "military incursions and all acts of violence, terror, provocation, incitement and destruction..."