Jewish reactions to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's speech condemning antisemitism last week have been mixed, though mostly positive, with an invitation to put the words into action.
Annan spoke at the United Nations' first-ever conference to combat antisemitism, entitled, "Confronting Antisemitism: Education for Tolerance and Understanding." Going so far as to outline several concrete steps that the United Nations can take to begin the process of combating antisemitism, Annan said,
"It is hard to believe that, 60 years after the tragedy of the Holocaust, anti-Semitism is once again rearing its head... But it is clear that we are witnessing an alarming resurgence of this phenomenon in new forms and manifestations. This time, the world must not - cannot - be silent... When we seek justice for the Palestinians - as we must - let us firmly disavow anyone who tries to use that cause to incite hatred against Jews, in Israel or elsewhere... The fight against antisemitism must be our fight. And Jews everywhere must feel that the United Nations is their home too."
The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations praised Annan's speech, but called on him to take a long list of concrete steps to begin "rectifying the record of the United Nations vis-a-vis antisemitism." The Conference called on Annan to:
* Announce a timetable for follow-up to the conference, a plan of action, and a timetable for implementing that plan.
* Speak out against anti-Semitism and anti-Semitic acts wherever they may occur, including incitement, wherever it may be found.
* Work to pass a stand-alone resolution on anti-Semitism in the UN General Assembly, and to decrease the number of anti-Israel resolutions in the UN General Assembly.
* Refrain from one-sided statements about Israeli acts of self-defense in the face of terror, whether by the Secretary-General, his representatives, or other UN officials.
* Appoint a Special Representative dedicated to the issue of anti-Semitism, to report annually on the year's anti-Semitic incidents, including anti-Semitic incitement.
* Promote a permanent Holocaust memorial in UN Headquarters, and endorse an International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
* Bar hateful speech at the UN and institute a system of accountability for UN officials and representatives who use their position to advance anti-Semitism.
* Speak out against the advancement of Palestinian human rights at the expense of the Jewish people's basic human rights;
* and more.
The Zionist Organization of America noted that Annan himself has failed to condemn the Palestinian Authority's constant promotion of antisemitism, and does not acknowledge that the PA is one of the world's most active promoters of antisemitism, on its website, television station and other media.
Anne Bayefsky, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and an adjunct professor at Columbia University Law School, spoke at the UN seminar as well. The following are excerpts from her speech, which can be read in full at <"www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110005245">:
"This meeting occurs at a point when the relationship between Jews and the United Nations is at an all-time low. The U.N. took root in the ashes of the Jewish people, and according to its charter was to flower on the strength of a commitment to tolerance and equality for all men and women and of nations large and small. Today, however, the U.N. provides a platform for those who cast the victims of the Nazis as the Nazi counterparts of the 21st century. The U.N. has become the leading global purveyor of anti-Semitism - intolerance and inequality against the Jewish people and its state.
"...There has never been a U.N. resolution specifically on anti-Semitism or a single report to a U.N. body dedicated to discrimination against Jews, in contrast to annual resolutions and reports focusing on the defamation of Islam and discrimination against Muslims and Arabs. Instead there was Durban - the 2001 U.N. World Conference "Against Racism," which was a breeding ground and global soapbox for anti-Semites...
"What does discrimination against the Jewish state mean? It means refusing to admit only Israel to the vital negotiating sessions of regional groups held daily during U.N. Commission on Human Rights meetings. It means devoting six of the 10 emergency sessions ever held by the General Assembly to Israel... By contrast, no emergency session was ever held on the Rwandan genocide, estimated to have killed a million people, or the ethnic cleansing of tens of thousands in the former Yugoslavia, or the death of millions over the past two decades of atrocities in Sudan. That's discrimination.
"The record of the Secretariat is more of the same. In November 2003, Secretary-General Kofi Annan issued a report on Israel's security fence, detailing the purported harm to Palestinians without describing one terrorist act against Israelis that preceded the fence's construction. Recently, the secretary-general strongly condemned Israel for destroying homes in southern Gaza without mentioning the arms-smuggling tunnels operating beneath them. When Israel successfully targeted Hamas terrorist Abdel Aziz Rantisi with no civilian casualties, the secretary-general denounced Israel for an "extrajudicial" killing. But when faced with the 2004 report of the U.N. special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions detailing the murder of more than 3,000 Brazilian civilians shot at close range by police, Mr. Annan chose silence. That's discrimination...
"As Israelis are demonized at the U.N., so Palestinians and their cause are deified. Every year the U.N. marks Nov. 29 as the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People--the day the U.N. partitioned the British Palestine mandate and which Arabs often style as the onset of al nakba or the 'catastrophe' of the creation of the state of Israel. In 2002, the anniversary of the vote that survivors of the concentration camps celebrated, was described by Secretary-General Annan as "a day of mourning and a day of grief."
"The perpetrators of anti-Semitism today are the preachers in mosques who exhort their followers to blow up Jews. They are the authors of Palestinian Authority textbooks that teach a new generation to hate Jews and admire their killers. They are the television producers and official benefactors in authoritarian regimes like Syria or Egypt who manufacture and distribute programming that depicts Jews as bloodthirsty world conspirators.
"Listen, however, to the words of the secretary-general in response to two suicide bombings which took place in Jerusalem this year, killing 19 and wounding 110: 'Once again, violence and terror have claimed innocent lives in the Middle East. Once again, I condemn those who resort to such methods.' [and] 'The Secretary General condemns the suicide bombing Sunday in Jerusalem. The deliberate targeting of civilians is a heinous crime and cannot be justified by any cause.' Refusing to name the perpetrators, Mr. Secretary-General, Teflon terrorism, is a green light to strike again.
"Perhaps more than any other, the big lie that fuels anti-Semitism today is the U.N.-promoted claim that the root cause of the Arab-Israeli conflict is the occupation of Palestinian land. According to U.N. revisionism, the occupation materialized in a vacuum. In reality, Israel occupies land taken in a war which was forced upon it by neighbors who sought to destroy it. It is a state of occupation which Israelis themselves have repeatedly sought to end through negotiations over permanent borders. It is a state in which any abuses are closely monitored by Israel's independent judiciary. But ultimately, it is a situation which is the responsibility of the rejectionists of Jewish self-determination among Palestinians and their Arab and Muslim brethren - who have rendered the Palestinian civilian population hostage to their violent and anti-Semitic ambitions.
"... The inability of the U.N. to confront the corruption of its agenda dooms this organization's success as an essential agent of equality or dignity or democratization. This conference may serve as a turning point. We will only know if concrete changes occur hereafter: a General Assembly resolution on anti-Semitism adopted, an annual report on anti-Semitism forthcoming, a focal point on anti-Semitism created, a rapporteur on anti-Semitism appointed. But I challenge the secretary-general and his organization to go further - if they are serious about eradicating anti-Semitism:
a. Start putting a name to the terrorists that kill Jews because they are Jews.
b. Start condemning human-rights violators wherever they dwell - even if they live in Riyadh or Damascus.
c. Stop condemning the Jewish people for fighting back against their killers.
d. And the next time someone asks you or your colleagues to stand for a moment of silence to honor those who would destroy the state of Israel, say no.
"Only then will the message be heard from these chambers that the U.N. will not tolerate anti-Semitism or its consequences against Jews and the Jewish people, whether its victims live in Tehran, Paris or Jerusalem."
Annan spoke at the United Nations' first-ever conference to combat antisemitism, entitled, "Confronting Antisemitism: Education for Tolerance and Understanding." Going so far as to outline several concrete steps that the United Nations can take to begin the process of combating antisemitism, Annan said,
"It is hard to believe that, 60 years after the tragedy of the Holocaust, anti-Semitism is once again rearing its head... But it is clear that we are witnessing an alarming resurgence of this phenomenon in new forms and manifestations. This time, the world must not - cannot - be silent... When we seek justice for the Palestinians - as we must - let us firmly disavow anyone who tries to use that cause to incite hatred against Jews, in Israel or elsewhere... The fight against antisemitism must be our fight. And Jews everywhere must feel that the United Nations is their home too."
The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations praised Annan's speech, but called on him to take a long list of concrete steps to begin "rectifying the record of the United Nations vis-a-vis antisemitism." The Conference called on Annan to:
* Announce a timetable for follow-up to the conference, a plan of action, and a timetable for implementing that plan.
* Speak out against anti-Semitism and anti-Semitic acts wherever they may occur, including incitement, wherever it may be found.
* Work to pass a stand-alone resolution on anti-Semitism in the UN General Assembly, and to decrease the number of anti-Israel resolutions in the UN General Assembly.
* Refrain from one-sided statements about Israeli acts of self-defense in the face of terror, whether by the Secretary-General, his representatives, or other UN officials.
* Appoint a Special Representative dedicated to the issue of anti-Semitism, to report annually on the year's anti-Semitic incidents, including anti-Semitic incitement.
* Promote a permanent Holocaust memorial in UN Headquarters, and endorse an International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
* Bar hateful speech at the UN and institute a system of accountability for UN officials and representatives who use their position to advance anti-Semitism.
* Speak out against the advancement of Palestinian human rights at the expense of the Jewish people's basic human rights;
* and more.
The Zionist Organization of America noted that Annan himself has failed to condemn the Palestinian Authority's constant promotion of antisemitism, and does not acknowledge that the PA is one of the world's most active promoters of antisemitism, on its website, television station and other media.
Anne Bayefsky, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and an adjunct professor at Columbia University Law School, spoke at the UN seminar as well. The following are excerpts from her speech, which can be read in full at <"www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110005245">:
"This meeting occurs at a point when the relationship between Jews and the United Nations is at an all-time low. The U.N. took root in the ashes of the Jewish people, and according to its charter was to flower on the strength of a commitment to tolerance and equality for all men and women and of nations large and small. Today, however, the U.N. provides a platform for those who cast the victims of the Nazis as the Nazi counterparts of the 21st century. The U.N. has become the leading global purveyor of anti-Semitism - intolerance and inequality against the Jewish people and its state.
"...There has never been a U.N. resolution specifically on anti-Semitism or a single report to a U.N. body dedicated to discrimination against Jews, in contrast to annual resolutions and reports focusing on the defamation of Islam and discrimination against Muslims and Arabs. Instead there was Durban - the 2001 U.N. World Conference "Against Racism," which was a breeding ground and global soapbox for anti-Semites...
"What does discrimination against the Jewish state mean? It means refusing to admit only Israel to the vital negotiating sessions of regional groups held daily during U.N. Commission on Human Rights meetings. It means devoting six of the 10 emergency sessions ever held by the General Assembly to Israel... By contrast, no emergency session was ever held on the Rwandan genocide, estimated to have killed a million people, or the ethnic cleansing of tens of thousands in the former Yugoslavia, or the death of millions over the past two decades of atrocities in Sudan. That's discrimination.
"The record of the Secretariat is more of the same. In November 2003, Secretary-General Kofi Annan issued a report on Israel's security fence, detailing the purported harm to Palestinians without describing one terrorist act against Israelis that preceded the fence's construction. Recently, the secretary-general strongly condemned Israel for destroying homes in southern Gaza without mentioning the arms-smuggling tunnels operating beneath them. When Israel successfully targeted Hamas terrorist Abdel Aziz Rantisi with no civilian casualties, the secretary-general denounced Israel for an "extrajudicial" killing. But when faced with the 2004 report of the U.N. special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions detailing the murder of more than 3,000 Brazilian civilians shot at close range by police, Mr. Annan chose silence. That's discrimination...
"As Israelis are demonized at the U.N., so Palestinians and their cause are deified. Every year the U.N. marks Nov. 29 as the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People--the day the U.N. partitioned the British Palestine mandate and which Arabs often style as the onset of al nakba or the 'catastrophe' of the creation of the state of Israel. In 2002, the anniversary of the vote that survivors of the concentration camps celebrated, was described by Secretary-General Annan as "a day of mourning and a day of grief."
"The perpetrators of anti-Semitism today are the preachers in mosques who exhort their followers to blow up Jews. They are the authors of Palestinian Authority textbooks that teach a new generation to hate Jews and admire their killers. They are the television producers and official benefactors in authoritarian regimes like Syria or Egypt who manufacture and distribute programming that depicts Jews as bloodthirsty world conspirators.
"Listen, however, to the words of the secretary-general in response to two suicide bombings which took place in Jerusalem this year, killing 19 and wounding 110: 'Once again, violence and terror have claimed innocent lives in the Middle East. Once again, I condemn those who resort to such methods.' [and] 'The Secretary General condemns the suicide bombing Sunday in Jerusalem. The deliberate targeting of civilians is a heinous crime and cannot be justified by any cause.' Refusing to name the perpetrators, Mr. Secretary-General, Teflon terrorism, is a green light to strike again.
"Perhaps more than any other, the big lie that fuels anti-Semitism today is the U.N.-promoted claim that the root cause of the Arab-Israeli conflict is the occupation of Palestinian land. According to U.N. revisionism, the occupation materialized in a vacuum. In reality, Israel occupies land taken in a war which was forced upon it by neighbors who sought to destroy it. It is a state of occupation which Israelis themselves have repeatedly sought to end through negotiations over permanent borders. It is a state in which any abuses are closely monitored by Israel's independent judiciary. But ultimately, it is a situation which is the responsibility of the rejectionists of Jewish self-determination among Palestinians and their Arab and Muslim brethren - who have rendered the Palestinian civilian population hostage to their violent and anti-Semitic ambitions.
"... The inability of the U.N. to confront the corruption of its agenda dooms this organization's success as an essential agent of equality or dignity or democratization. This conference may serve as a turning point. We will only know if concrete changes occur hereafter: a General Assembly resolution on anti-Semitism adopted, an annual report on anti-Semitism forthcoming, a focal point on anti-Semitism created, a rapporteur on anti-Semitism appointed. But I challenge the secretary-general and his organization to go further - if they are serious about eradicating anti-Semitism:
a. Start putting a name to the terrorists that kill Jews because they are Jews.
b. Start condemning human-rights violators wherever they dwell - even if they live in Riyadh or Damascus.
c. Stop condemning the Jewish people for fighting back against their killers.
d. And the next time someone asks you or your colleagues to stand for a moment of silence to honor those who would destroy the state of Israel, say no.
"Only then will the message be heard from these chambers that the U.N. will not tolerate anti-Semitism or its consequences against Jews and the Jewish people, whether its victims live in Tehran, Paris or Jerusalem."