The B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission (ADC), Australia’s leading organisation fighting anti-Semitism and hatred in all its forms, has denounced the United Nations outrageous and biased U.N Security Council resolution that deems Israel and its settlement policy “in the West Bank and East Jerusalem” responsible for the lack of progress on Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. The ADC has also said that it was appalled with the failure by the US to veto this resolution. The resolution, passed with a vote of 14-0, was introduced by New Zealand, Malaysia, Venezuela and Senegal. Those who voted in favour are: Angola, China, Egypt, France, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Russia, Senegal, Spain, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Uruguay and Venezuela. The ADC has written to the NZ High Commissioner, His excellency Mr Chris Seed, to express its disappointment with the NZ government’s action.
Dr Dvir Abramovich, Chairman of the ADC, issued the following statement:
“We are profoundly disturbed by this patently counterproductive, one sided and biased anti-Israel measure that will do nothing to renew the peace process. This resolution rewards the Palestinians leadership that has steadfastly turned down any offer to return to the negotiating table with Israel and has relentlessly continued to incite to violence. If the New-Zealand government, and the international community, wanted to bring the parties back for bilateral talk without pre-conditions, it would have not introduced and adopted this unconstructive resolution which pushes the two sides further apart and makes the objective and prospects of a lasting, comprehensive resolution even more elusive. It is regrettable that the NZ government chose to ignore the genuine steps Israel has taken over the years to advance conciliation, including the disengagement from Gaza and the endorsement of a two state solution. Instead, it has accepted the falsehood that Israeli settlements are central to the conflict and has emboldened those who refuse to accept Israel’s legitimacy and seek, through terrorism and extremist tactics, to force a unilateral solution on Israel. The only certain outcome of this vote is to further encourage Palestinians obstinacy and to empower those seeking to use the UN as a tool to malign and delegitimize Israel, the only true democracy in the Middle-East.”
The B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission, founded in 1979, is Australia’s leading civil rights organization fighting racism through educational programs that combat bigotry, prejudice and all forms of hatred.
For further information please contact Dr Dvir Abramovich on (03) 9272 5677.