West European delegates at the recently concluded United Nations End of the Decade Women’s Conference held in Nairobi, Kenya, failed to provide strong public support against including on attack on Israel and Zionism in the final forward looking strategies document adopted by the conference, the head of the U.S. delegation charged today.
Maureen Reagan, President Reagan’s daughter, however, added that it was the support of the Western and Latin American delegations that finally led to the exclusion of any condemnation of Israel in the final document, having decided that “enough is enough.” She also told reporters here that the U.S. “was totally prepared” to walk out of the United Nations conference if Israel was condemned in the unanimously adopted final document.
“The Western Europeans by and large let us carry the ball a great many times when it would have been very nice if they would have joined us,” she said. While these delegates indicated support against an anti-Israel document in private meetings, they were less forthcoming in public, she said. She described the exclusion of criticism of Israel in the final document as “a first class win” for the U.S., for women and the United Nations.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
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.