By Gary Raynaldo DIPLOMATIC TIMES
Major Jewish groups are upset over the failure of the UN General Assembly to adopt the U.S.-sponsored resolution last Thursday condemning Palestinian militant organization Hamas. The resolution condemned Hamas for “repeatedly firing rockets into Israel and for inciting violence, thereby putting civilians at risk”, and for its use of resources in Gaza to construct military infrastructure “including tunnels to infiltrate Israel and equipment to launch rockets into civilian areas”. The resolution ‘Activities of Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza’ got 87 vote in favor, 58 against with 32 abstentions. The resolution failed to be adopted Thursday as it could not garner two-thirds support in the General Assembly.
“The US resolution served as a litmus test forthe international community on a number of fronts, including that of antisemitism. At a time when the ever-present specter of antisemitism has, once again, become a deadly reality, the UN had the opportunity to take a unified stand against this age-old bigotry, as Hamas is one of the world’s greatest offenders of antisemitism.”
Danny Danon, Israel ambassador to the United Nations, writing in Jerusalem Post.
World Jewish Congress President Ronald Lauder said, “The United Nations General Assembly has had countless opportunities to prove that it stands of the right side of history. Yet, time and again, the vast majority of its members have failed to do so.”
B’nai B’rith International President Charles Kaufman and CEO Daniel Mariaschin said, “We salute the United States mission to the United Nations, and particularly Ambassador Nikki Haley, for initiating a first-time, explicit U.N. General Assembly repudiation of Hamas, the terrorist group that controls the Gaza Strip, for its culpability in relentless and recently escalated attacks against Israeli civilians from that territory and its reckless exploitation of Palestinians.”
U.S. Ambassador To UN Nikki Haley Lobbied Hard For Anti-Hamas Vote
Credit: AFP/ Getty UN Ambassador Nikki Haley
If United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley was seeking to go out with a bang before leaving her post this month by pushing a U.S.-sponsored resolution to condemn the activities of the militant Hamas organization, she may now very well depart in a whimper as the General Assembly failed to adopt the measure. Haley, who is a staunch defender of Israel, lobbied member states on Monday urging them to vote for the US-drafted text, warning them: “The United States takes the outcome of this vote very seriously.”
Haley charged that “there’s nothing more anti-Semitic” than refusing to condemn terrorism when it is targeting the Jewish state.”
