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B’nai B’rith International has written U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon concerning the absurd recommendation by U.N. Special Representative for Children in Armed Conflict Leila Zerrougui to place Israel on the list of entities that regularly and systematically harm children in conflict situations. Adding Israel to this list would put it on the same footing as such grave violators of human rights as the Taliban, Boko Haram and ISIS.

In the letter, B’nai B’rith International President Allan J. Jacobs and Executive Vice President Daniel S. Mariaschin wrote: “On behalf of B’nai B’rith International – the world’s oldest Jewish humanitarian, advocacy and social action organization, with a grassroots presence in nearly 50 countries – we are writing to strongly urge you to denounce the absurd recommendation of UN Special Representative for Children in Armed Conflict Leila Zerrougui to place Israel on the list of entities that regularly and systematically harm children in conflict situations. Adding Israel to this list, which includes such grave violators of human rights as the Taliban, Boko Haram and ISIS, amongst others, would do serious and irreparable damage to the reputation of the United Nations.

“Including Israel, a vibrant democracy that goes to painstaking efforts to avoid civilian casualties when fighting terrorist organizations that conceal themselves within the Palestinian civilian population, in a list with vicious terrorist organizations that purposely target civilians would make a complete mockery of the international humanitarian and human rights system. Israel puts its soldiers’ lives at risk by warning civilians to evacuate areas where terrorists are storing weapons and firing into Israel. Boko Haram kidnaps girls for the “offense” of seeking an education. ISIS systematically abducts girls and uses them as sex slaves. The sheer brutality of both the Taliban and Al-Qaeda has been on display for the world to see for the past twenty years. Any comparison between the horrific behavior of these terrorist groups and the justified counter-terrorism actions of the Israel Defense Forces lacks a rational basis and would rightly be seen as the UN wallowing in anti-Semitism.

“Hamas and Islamic Jihad, on the other hand, are richly-deserving of a spot on this “illustrious” list of countries and organizations, and we would strongly encourage you to add them. For years, these organizations have been firing rockets indiscriminately at Israeli cities and perpetrating suicide bombings that have killed or maimed Israeli children. They use Palestinian civilians as human shields by operating in civilian areas, including medical and educational facilities (some of the facilities, as you know, belong to the UN). Hamas poisons the minds of Palestinian youth by spreading revolting lies on their media channel about Jews and encouraging children to become martyrs. The mission of these organizations is the destruction of the state of Israel and the perpetration of a new genocide against the Jewish people.

“Hamas and Islamic Jihad are the entities that have for many years been putting children on both sides of the conflict at grave danger, not Israel. The UN’s list of grave violators of the rights of children in conflict situations should reflect this reality.”