Arab countries have mounted an all-out diplomatic attack against Israel here during the annual session of the U.N. Human Rights Sub commission on the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities.
The Arab nations accuse Israel of violating the human rights of Palestinians and of even exterminating them.
Although human-rights violations in Lebanon and China also have been discussed, Israel remains the principal target of the proceedings.
The sub commission studies human-rights violations and recommends action to the U.N. Commission on Human Rights. Its annual session opened Aug. 7 and will continue to Sept. 1.
The level of discourse was exemplified by a Syrian representative’s bold assertion last week that “everybody knows” that “Zionism is closely related to neo-Nazism.”
Ahmed Khalifa, a human-rights expert from Egypt, complained that the U.N. Security Council has imposed no sanctions against Israel, despite what he called “years and years of exterminating Palestinians.”
He said that was proof of a double standard.
Abid al-Jadir, speaking for the Arab Organization for Human Rights, claimed “it is repeatedly said in Israel that Palestinians should be expelled from their lands or physically exterminated.”
David Littman, representing the World Union for Progressive Judaism, a non-governmental organization with observer status, cited the mistreatment of Jews in Syria.
He said Jews must carry identification cards with the word “Mossawi,” meaning Mosaic or Jewish.
‘NEO-NAZIS IN TEL AVIV’
Littman observed that there were more than 220 unmarried Jewish women in Syria with little chance of marrying within their faith because most Jewish males of marriageable age have left the country.
These women are forcibly prevented from leaving to find spouses abroad, Littman charged. The Syrian government has effectively “imposed measures intended to prevent births within the (Jewish) group,” he said.
Sami Glaiel, the observer for Syria, asked rhetorically if the World Union for Progressive Judaism was a representative of “Zionism, closely related to neo-Nazism.”
He said the relationship is well known, now that Palestinians are suffering genocide at the hands of “neo-Nazis in Tel Aviv.”
Rafael Walden, the observer for Israel, retorted that Syria, which was butchering Christians in Beirut, should think twice before speaking about human rights.
The U.S. delegate, Morris Abram, will speak next week.
Earlier this month, Abram urged the sub commission to denounce terrorist hostage-taking and adopt a more balanced approach to human-rights problems throughout the world.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
