The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations has assailed the Greek delegation to the United Nations for supporting the admission of the Palestine Liberation Organization to the UN Economic Commission for West Asia (ECWA).
Rabbi Alexander M. Schindler, chairman of the Conference, made public today a letter he had sent to George Papoulias, Greece’s Ambassador to the UN, voicing “shock and dismay” at the vote of the Greek delegation to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) last month in favor of full membership status for the PLO in ECWA. Greece was the only Western nation to vote in favor of the successful PLO bid for full membership status.
Noting that UN bodies were composed of member-states, Schindler wrote: “To grant the PLO the status of a state makes a mockery of international law and further undermines the credibility of United Nations procedures. At the same time, it subverts efforts aimed at bringing about a full and lasting peace in the Middle East.” The decision of ECOSOC ” can scarcely be seen as other than a profoundly illegal and immoral act.” Schindler said.
The vote in ECOSOC to grant member-status to the PLO was 27-11. Twelve countries abstained. The United States voted against the PLO, along with Austria, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom.
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