October 17 will be recalled as a day of infamy at the United Nations. It was a day when a cabal of Arab, Communist and Third World states succeeded in formalizing their hatred of Zionism and Israel by adopting a draft resolution in which Zionism was equated with racism. It was a day of infamy because the 70 countries which voted for the resolution in the Third Committee were sided and abetted, intentionally or unintentionally, by the 27 states that abstained in the vote and by the 16 states that were absent.
It was a day of infamy because the draft now provides many of these states with a legal and ethical veneer and rationale for continued actions against Israel and, possibly, for actions against Zionists and Zionist organizations within those countries where a Zionist group may now be functioning. The draft resolution now provides, in the guise of fighting racism, an onslaught against the international liberation movement of the Jewish people and the embodiment of this movement in the State of Israel. It was a day of infamy because the draft incorporates the Nazi technique of the big lie.
It was also a day of perversity in that the draft resolution and vote took place in the Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee, The vote and the draft is evidence that this committee is neither social, nor humanitarian nor cultural.
The vote came a little more than a week after Uganda President Idi Amin spewed his hatred in the General Assembly by calling on the American people “to rid their society of the Zionists,” called for the expulsion of Israel from the United Nations and “the extinction of Israel as a state.”
DRAFT DEGRADED THE UN
The Arab-sponsored draft resolution equating Zionism with racism was denounced by Israeli Ambassador Chaim Herzog who told the Third Committee that the draft has “degraded” the United Nations “by introducing this anti-Semitic element into the world today and in so doing you will destroy it ultimately,” Leonard Garment, a member of the U.S. delegation to the UN, speaking before the vote, called the draft resolution “obscene,” a “supreme act of deceit,” and “one of the most grievous errors,” in the 30-year existence of the world body.
The vote for the draft resolution–70 in favor, 29 opposed, 27 abstaining and 16 absent–came after heated and prolonged discussion in the Third Committee, and after the U.S. and the nine members of the European Common Market warned they would vote against it, (See separate story for those voting against, abstaining and absent.)
The vote also came after the committee had overridden a request by two Black African countries–Sierra Leone and Zambia–to postpone until next year consideration of the resolution. The vote was 68-45 with 16 abstentions. The operative section of the draft proposed that the General Assembly determine that “Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination.”
Herzog, in his statement, declared: “We have listened to the most unbelievable nonsense on the issue of Zionism and from whom? From countries who are the archrypes of racism.” (See separate story for Herzog’s full statement.)
MOYNIHAN EMBRACES HERZOG
Observers said that the Ambassador’s denunciation of the countries supporting the draft resolution had a marked impact and that there was a shocked silence at the conclusion of his statement. Daniel Moynihan, the American Ambassador, walked from his seat in the committee to where Herzog was sitting and embraced him just after the vote took place. But many delegates applauded the vote.
Jewish sources in New York criticized the New York Times for its total omission Saturday in its story on the session and the vote to any reference of Herzog’s statement, particularly since the Syrian delegate was quoted at length, (The Times, however, in its Sunday story, deigned to devote all of one sentence to Herzog’s statement.)
WILL ENCOURAGE ANTI-SEMITISM
Garment told the committee that, under the pretext of fighting racism, the UN was “at the point of officially endorsing anti-Semitism, one of the oldest and most virulent forms of racism known in human history.” He added “we must also issue a warning–this resolution places the work of the United Nations in jeopardy.” He described Zionism as a movement seeking to preserve “the small remnant of the Jewish people that survived the horrors of racial holocaust.”
Garment said the draft would encourage anti-Semitism and group hostility and would therefore prevent the United States from cooperating with other UN members in a ten-year program to combat racism. He said the decision would have far-reaching consequences because the draft involved the “moral authority” that he said was the UN’s “only ultimate claim” for support.
Moynihan expressed “profound gratification” for the support Israel received from the nations opposition the draft resolution and indicated that the African program for a 1978 conference and “action plan” against racial discrimination would suffer, at least as far as the U.S. and Western participation and possible funding is concerned. Some Western diplomats expressed concern after the vote was taken that the action would damage U.S. support for the UN.
CRITICAL OF CHILE’S ROLE
At the same time, U.S. officials were sharply critical of Latin American countries that lined up with the Arab and Communist powers to vote in favor of a draft resolution linking Zionism with racism Friday night. One unnamed high official of the U.S. Mission flatly accused. Chile of selling its vote to the Arabs in exchange for Arab support when the issue of alleged torture and political repression in Chile comes up before the General Assembly. The Chilean Mission declined immediate comment on the charge.
U.S. officials expressed disappointment that many Latin American countries “deserted us” by supporting the anti-Israel draft resolution or abstaining. At the same time, they pointed out that some Black African countries that usually supported the Arabs on Middle East issues, either abstained or voted against the resolution.
American analysis, of the vote who noted the split in the Black African bloc, castigated the attitude of Latin American nations. One U.S. official was quoted as saying “The Fascists in Chile and some like-minded military regimes are lining up with the anti-Semites.”
The American official’s charge that Chile sold its vote was based on the fact that a five-member UN working group had submitted a report last week denouncing the existence of “torture cells” and other forma of political repression in Chile, ruled by a right-wing military junta. The report on the human rights situation in Chile is due to be discussed by the Third Committee and later by the General Assembly, though no dates have been set.
According to informed sources at the UN, the Chilean delegation has been canvassing members for support on the human rights issue and found Arab diplomats responsive. The Chilean delegate rejected the report of the UN working group as “without foundation” and obtained mainly from hostile Chilean exiles. But Chile, which had promised to cooperate with the UN investigation, barred the world organization’s human rights team from that country.
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.
