The General Assembly Is Again Being Used As A Tool Against The State Of Israel

American Jewish Committee
Tuesday, 7 July 1998

The American Jewish Committee is deeply troubled over today's General Assembly vote to upgrade the Palestinians' status within the United Nations from observer to that approaching the position of a member state. Such a move, in its symbolism as well as in its implementation, will only jeopardize the search for peace in the region.

While distressed by the vote, the AJC commends the United States, as well as Micronesia and the Marshall Islands, for voting against the resolution, which violates an underlying principle of the Oslo Accords, namely, that Israel and the Palestinians will resolve permanent status issues directly and bilaterally. In addition, we acknowledge those countries that demonstrated political courage in the current atmosphere by abstaining.

While we hoped that the years of automatic votes against Israel and one-sided resolutions were waning in the General Assembly, we see now that, sadly, these hopes were premature. The GA is again being used as a tool against the State of Israel. This latest action casts serious doubt on the commitment of the Palestinians to the peace process at a time when commitment and confidence are most needed.

In an attempt to protect the integrity of the peace process, the American Jewish Committee had sent letters to 59 key members of the General Assembly urging them to vote against the "Participation of Palestine in the work of the United Nations" resolution.

For more information, or to contact American Jewish Committee, see their website at: www.ajc.org