Jewish State Again Becomes The Victim Of Blame-Every-Impasse-On-Israel

American Jewish Committee
Wednesday, 16 July 1997

The American Jewish Committee strongly condemns the anti-Israel resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly yesterday. Moreover, we are deeply concerned over ominous references regarding Israel's status within the U.N. and to a possible economic boycott against the Jewish State.

With only three votes against the resolution --the U.S., Micronesia, and Israel --and fourteen abstentions, it is painfully apparent that most nations, including too many European countries of whom we would have expected better, are more than willing, on the whim of the PLO, to turn back the clock on any progress toward Middle East peace. Japan, Canada, and the European Union members, with the notable exception of Germany which, to its credit, broke with its EU partners on this issue, showed a total absence of courage and balance in voting against Israel.

As has been the case so often in the 1970's and 80's, Israel has once again become the all-too-familiar victim of the "blame-every-impasse-on-Israel" approach of the world body. We had earnestly hoped that those days were well behind us and that the United Nations was on the road to reestablishing its credibility and effectiveness. Sadly, this is not what we are seeing.

No U.N. special session or reflexive condemnation of Israel by the so-called "automatic majority" has brought resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict any closer. Only direct negotiations have proven to be the best path to peace.

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