Israel’s ambassador to the UN Danny Danon Danon lauded a new UN resolution as a proud “Israeli achievement” and a “crushing [blow] to the forces of hatred.”
By: TPS
The United Nations’ (UN) General Assembly convened for a special session this week to adopt a draft resolution targeting hate crimes, including anti-Semitism.
The resolution, “Combating terrorism and other acts of violence based on religion or belief,” strongly condemns “continuing violence and acts of terrorism targeting individuals, including persons belonging to religious minorities, based on or in the name of religion or belief.”
In its original version, the proposal only referred to Islamophobia following the terrorist attack aimed at Muslim worshipers in Christchurch, New Zealand, last month, but after a diplomatic effort led by Israel’s ambassador to the UN Danny Danon, and with the support of many UN member states, the proposal was amended to include a condemnation of anti-Semitism.
Addressing the GA during the session, Danon said that the negotiation process on the resolution “could have been more inclusive and transparent” and condemned “any acts of violence against any person based on belief or religion.”
Danon later stated that “the memory of history seems to be fading with time, but our diplomatic efforts have shown that we will not allow the international community to remain silent while a wave of anti-Semitism spreads throughout the world.”
Anti-Semitism around the world reached record highs in 2018, with 13 Jews killed in three separate deadly anti-Semitic attack, the highest number of Jewish fatalities in racially motivated attacks since the Jewish community in Argentina was targeted in the 1990s.
Danon lauded the resolution as “an Israeli achievement at the UN and a crushing [blow] to the forces of hatred.”
However, he noted that “it is very unfortunate that we had to fight to include anti-Semitism in the draft resolution,” reminding the world that “denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination in their land and being anti-Israel is no different from anti-Semitism.”
“The time has come for the world to act uncompromisingly against hatred and anti-Semitism, and to ignore those, both inside and outside the United Nations, seek to undermine these efforts,” Danon concluded.
