B’nai B’rith International has issued the following statement:
B’nai B’rith International spoke before the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) today under its general agenda item 4—pointedly refusing to appear in the context of item 7, which singles out Israel alone for scrutiny. B’nai B’rith demanded urgent council action on Palestinians’ hostage-taking of three Israeli schoolboys and condemned the recently signed cooperation pact that gave the terrorist organization Hamas a key stake, alongside Fatah, in the Palestinian Authority.
Geneva representative Richard Sadoune spoke on behalf of B’nai B’rith, pressing the council to acknowledge a Hamas-Fatah regime’s ineligibility to be internationally recognized, to receive support and to be considered a viable partner for peace with Israel under longstanding terms established by the Middle East Quartet, of which the United Nations is a member.
“Has Hamas recognized the right of the State of Israel to exist? The answer is no. Its leaders still refer to Israel as the ‘Zionist entity,’ and they have made it abundantly clear since the pact’s announcement that this policy of non-recognition has not, and will never, change,” Sadoune said, speaking in French. “Has Hamas recognized past agreements with Israel? Hamas doctrinally rejects a two-state solution or negotiations that would lead to a final peace agreement.”
Sadoune continued: “Has Hamas renounced violence? The answer again is no. Hamas continues to see the violent destruction of Israel as its raison d’être, continues to stockpile missiles and fire them indiscriminately at Israeli civilians. Just this past week three innocent Israeli boys were taken hostage by terrorists, and both Hamas and other Palestinian groups openly celebrated. Clearly, Hamas still miserably fails all three vital Quartet conditions for engagement.”
He concluded: “It is the urgent obligation of this council to stand against ongoing Palestinian terrorism—beginning with a demand for the unconditional freeing of three kidnapped Israeli schoolboys.”
B’nai B’rith is a constant presence at the UNHRC, fighting its never-ending obsession with Israel and advocating for concrete action against unsurpassed human rights abusers, including Syria and Iran.