​B’nai B’rith International condemns the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) for singling out Israel in a one-sided draft resolution that blames Israel for defending itself during weeks of Palestinian rioting and attacks at the Gaza border.
 
On June 1, a similar resolution failed at the United Nations Security Council. This predictable ritual of exploiting the General Assembly — and the United Nations as a whole — to focus solely on excoriating Israel is outrageous and inexcusable. Israel has been targeted more than any other country. Meanwhile, the UNGA has consistently failed to target Hamas terrorists and make clear their instigation and responsibility for the situation at hand.

The global community must acknowledge that Hamas and Islamic Jihad are the true threat to Israeli and Palestinian lives alike. The open objective of these fanatic groups is the destruction of Israel and murder of Israelis. Accordingly, Hamas and Islamic Jihad have directed countless rocket attacks, shootings and now even incendiary kite attacks at Israeli civilians and service members.
 
United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley deserves strong praise for demanding that the UNGA denounce Hamas by name and insist that the terrorist organization abstain from all further violence.
 
Israel completely and unconditionally withdrew from the Gaza Strip well over a decade ago — only to be subjected to yet more indiscriminate terror and incitement from Hamas and other terrorists in Gaza. Israel has a fundamental right and obligation to defend its civilians and its borders, as any country would, and it has done so with exceptional care and restraint. Hamas, for its part, has repeatedly been caught lying about Palestinian actions and casualties. The UNGA, following the agitation of the Palestinians and their near-automatic majority of supporters at the U.N., must stop maligning Israel but rather support it in its efforts to combat those who are doctrinally committed to preventing peace and coexistence.