New York, NY, March 28, 2014 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today condemned the passage of five anti-Israel resolutions at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), including one containing veiled threats of financial repercussions for those doing business with Israeli settlements, and noted that every European member of the UNHRC “willfully turned a blind eye to the amplified demonization of Israel contained in the resolution.”
The resolution passed 46 to one, with the United States casting the sole dissenting vote.
ADL said that the resolution’s language demonstrates the “boundless” nature of the UNHRC’s obsession with and willingness to attack Israel, and expressed dismay at the nearly unanimous support the resolution enjoyed.
Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, issued the following statement:
How sad that there was not one courageous European voice to say no to this U.N. infamy. The passage of this anti-Israel resolution demonstrates that the UNHRC’s single-minded focus on Israel and willingness to escalate attacks against the Jewish State is boundless. While somewhat watered down from earlier, more egregious drafts, the resolution’s language - including veiled threats of financial repercussions for companies doing business with Israeli settlements - will undoubtedly serve to bolster advocates of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and their illegitimate hateful campaign against Israel.
We are greatly dismayed that this resolution passed with near unanimity, including receiving backing of all European members of the UNHRC who, despite whatever disagreements they have with Israel over its settlement policies, willfully turned a blind eye to the amplified demonization of Israel contained in this resolution. Conversely, we welcome the dissenting vote and voice from the United States, including the strong statement delivered by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Paula Schriefer, who appropriately denounced the ‘one sided’ nature of the resolutions.
We greatly appreciate continuing efforts by the US to defend Israel’s legitimacy at the United Nations and in various other international forums.
In anticipation of the UNHRC’s vote on the resolution, ADL wrote to a number of the Council’s members, expressing concern that the resolution was an attack on Israel that was taken beyond previous sessions, and urged the members to vote against its passage.
The resolution, titled “Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan,” is part of the UNHRC’s permanent Agenda item 7 on Israel and is the only country on the Council’s permanent agenda.