Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick defended the United Nations as an important forum for the resolution of conflicts despite a decade-long “obsessive” anti-Semitic campaign in the UN that has “nothing to do with the particular policies of the different Israeli governments.”
She said that during the past 10 years, Israel has been “isolated, despised, humiliated and victimized” in what she termed “ritual denunciation.” But Mrs. Kirkpatrick asserted that Israel’s situation in the UN is now improving.
The envoy made her remarks during an address to 600 delegates at the biennial convention of Pioneer Women/ Na’amat which presented her with its Golda Meir Human Relations Award for “her staunch defense of Israel in the UN” and her “vigorous advocacy” of the emigration rights of Soviet Jews.
In another session, Stephen Solender, executive vice president of the Associated Jewish Charities and Welfare Fund of Baltimore, described the effects of federal budget cuts in social services. “The Jewish community must adapt to a new reality because the program of Reagan cutbacks shows no sign of abating,” he said. Solender cited a 35 percent increase in the caseload of his agency in the first five months of this year which, he said, includes many Jewish middle class unemployed.
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.
