WASHINGTON (JTA) — The Organization of American States rejected a resolution criticizing Israel for its deadly Gaza aid flotilla raid.
The resolution at the annual OAS general assembly, taking place this year in Lima, Peru, was proposed Monday by Ecuador, which has in recent years become close to Venezuela, where the Chavez regime has become a stalwart of international anti-Israel activism.
Only 10 of the 33 OAS foreign ministers voted in favor.
B’nai B’rith International, one of several Jewish groups maintaining close ties with Latin American governments, had made representations to some of the OAS members saying that non-regional disputes distracted from urgent matters, including addressing poverty and crime in the region.
"The failure of the Ecuador measure demonstrates a desire by OAS members to limit the group’s activities to issues directly relevant to the region," a B’nai B’rith statement said.
Ecuador sought condemnation of Israel’s raid on a flotilla that aimed to break Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip, which is under control of the terrorist group Hamas. Nine Turks, including one Turkish-American, were killed in the subsequent melee.
