Blum: Egypt’s Attitude Toward Israel in the UN Assembly is Deteriorating

Egypt’s attitude toward Israel sharply deteriorated during the 38th session of the General Assembly, which concluded its deliberations this week. Furthermore, the Egyptians led the struggle against Israel in some instances, most notably in the Political and other UN committees.

Yehuda Blum, Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, pointed out this development at a press conference today at the Israel Mission to the UN. “This is a worrisome development,” Blum said, noting that Egypt is using anti-Israeli rhetoric in the UN to make inroads in the Arab world and to strengthen its position which was undermined among the Arabs after it signed the peace treaty with Israel in 1979.

Blum pointed out that Egypt voted this week for a resolution in the General Assembly condemning the recent agreement between Israel and the United States on closer strategic cooperation.

The Israeli envoy, said, in response to a question, that he raised the issue of Egypt’s growing anti-Israeli position in the UN with Egyptian Ambassador Ahmed Tawfik Khalil. The Egyptian envoy said, according to Blum, that just because Israel and Egypt signed a peace treaty does not mean that Egypt cannot criticize Israel. Blum also noted that Israel’s Ambassador to Egypt, David Sasson, raised the issue of Egypt’s treatment of Israel at the UN with government officials in Cairo.

Blum said that beginning January 1, Egypt will have a seat in the Security Council. “I am afraid that they will use this position for anti-Israel activity, “he said.

ARABS INCREASE THEIR ANTI-SEMITIC RHETORIC

The 38th Assembly session was also marked by increased anti-Semitic rhetoric in which the Arabs “allowed themselves to attack not only Israel but the Jewish people as well,” Blum said.

He recalled in that connection the statement made December 7 by the Libyan Ambassador, Ali Treiki, who said the owners of the “porno houses” in New York are Jews who are “exploiting ” and “debasing” the American people. The tirades against Israel also became mare vicious this year, Blum said, noting that Israel was referred to by Iran as “a cancer oust tumor” in the Mideast. Iran also called for “a final solution” to Israel, Blum recalled.

“All these statements were uttered in the face of total silence on the part of the European countries, and others,” Blum said. “The United States was the only country to protest.”

“There has been a clear increase in anti-Semitic expressions in the Assembly. Even the Soviets have increased their references to the ‘chosen people’ and this went without any protest from the Presidency of the Assembly and others,” the Israeli Ambassador said.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE VOTING PATTERN

But Blum said that the voting pattern in the Assembly this year has shown a slight improvement for Israel. In fact, he said, the anti-Israeli resolutions which were adopted by the Assembly this week did not get the same majority as last year. He said that this is a result of “a shift” among several South American countries.

Blum noted that the vote on the resolution that condemned the recent American-Israeli cooperation agreement was an “achievement” for Israel. Only 81 countries supported the resolution while 27 countries, representing the entire West (apart from Greece and Austria), voted against it, Blum said. He claimed that the Arabs had hoped to have between 100 to 120 countries supporting the resolution.

According to Blum, relations between Israel and the United States during the Assembly “were better this year than in previous years.”

This is a reflection of the general improvement in relations between the two countries, he noted.

But he also pointed out that Israel was one of the few countries in the world to vote against a resolution that condemned the American invasion of Grenada.

“The U.S. was deserted by all its NATO allies,” Blum said. He added that Israel’s vote was appreciated by the U.S. which “did not leave Israel alone” to combat anti-Israeli resolutions.