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(Washington, D.C., Sept. 24, 2021)--B’nai B’rith leaders, led by President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin, have concluded meetings with dozens of world leaders on the sidelines of the opening of the United Nations General Assembly session.
Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, B’nai B’rith has continued its longtime leadership of Jewish communal engagement at the U.N., arranging direct discussions with heads of state and government, foreign ministers and other senior officials from countries including Greece, Bahrain, Azerbaijan, Jordan, Russia, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Latvia, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Austria, Colombia, Italy, Spain and Romania, among an array of others. In the consultations, organized by B’nai B’rith’s Office of United Nations Affairs, among the issues discussed were Iran’s destabilizing policies, Arab-Israeli ties, U.N. treatment of Israel, transatlantic relations and global anti-Semitism. Countries were urged to decline participation in the U.N.’s commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the notorious Durban conference on racism—held on Sept. 22—or commended for doing so. B’nai B’rith has been exceptionally active at the U.N. since the body’s very founding in 1945, holding official status at multiple U.N. arms since soon after then. B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit bnaibrith.org. (Washington, D.C., Dec. 2, 2020)—B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:
We strongly condemn the five anti-Israel resolutions passed today by the United Nations General Assembly, while we are encouraged at the growing number of countries willing to stand up against anti-Israel entities that waste critical resources and hamper the U.N.'s legitimacy. These resolutions are a fixture of the 43-year-old “International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People” – the only U.N. celebration of solidarity with one specific group of people. The General Assembly resolutions passed today fund the permanent propaganda bodies housed within the U.N. system. The Committee on the Exercise on the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (CEIRPP) vote count was 91 in favor, 17 against and 54 abstentions. The Division of Palestinian Rights of the Secretariat (DPR) resolution had a vote count of 82 in favor, 25 against and 53 abstentions. We are particularly disappointed with Argentina and Chile for their ongoing support of CEIRPP. We sincerely commend the growing number of countries willing to vote against these two anti-Israel U.N. bureaucracies. We also specifically commend the following countries that abstained in 2019 on CEIRPP and this year voted “no” on supporting this institution: Austria, Bulgaria, Germany and Papua New Guinea. Similarly, on the DPR resolution, we appreciate the following countries that abstained in 2019 but voted “no” this year: Slovenia, Papua New Guinea and Switzerland. And we reserve our strongest appreciation for Australia, Canada, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia and the United States for voting with Israel against all resolutions today. The General Assembly votes are preceded each year by speeches demonizing and delegitimizing Israel, the only Jewish state in the world. These sessions do not advance the cause of truth or peace. While we urge the U.N. to stop this annual hate-fest, we are reassured that more and more nations are seeing through the charade. B’nai B’rith has had a continued presence at the United Nations since its founding and continues to work to ensure the protection of human rights and the promotion of peace and coexistence. B'nai B'rith and AJIRI-BBI are making concerted efforts to speak out against the continued existence of these committees and to urge U.N. member states to vote against them. B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org. (Washington, D.C., Dec. 13, 2019)— B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:
We are outraged, but not surprised, by today’s United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adoption of eight resolutions that single out Israel and do not mention any other country by name. One of the resolutions renews the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), a corrupt, politicized agency with a bloated budget that promotes anti-Israel incitement. Another resolution renews the mandate of a pro-Palestinian “special committee” within the U.N. with the sole purpose of relentlessly attacking Israel. The General Assembly also passed an absurd resolution on the Golan Heights, the second of this session, which is more scrutiny than the murderous Syrian regime on the other side of the border from the Golan will receive this UNGA session. We thank all countries that voted with the United States and Israel against these heavily biased resolutions. The U.N. cannot achieve progress working towards peace and security until it stops demonizing and singling out Israel more than all other countries, including egregious violators of human rights. The UNGA’s tendency to pass biased and redundant resolution after resolution blasting Israel while effectively ignoring serious concerns in other countries points to the continuing moral decay at this global institution. B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org (Washington, D.C., Dec. 4, 2019)—B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:
At the annual United Nations General Assembly observance of the U.N.-initiated International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, the world body once again perpetuated an anti-Israel agenda by adopting a litany of biased resolutions that only reflect a Palestinian narrative. A world body fixture since 1977, the Day of Solidarity is the only U.N. celebration of solidarity with one specific group of people. The General Assembly session featured many speeches by country representatives eager to get their turn to demonize and delegitimize Israel, the nation-state of the Jewish people and the only democracy in the Middle East, with smears and outright lies. These General Assembly sessions do nothing to advance the cause of peace; they only serve to prolong the conflict. The Palestinian leadership will not engage in meaningful negotiations nor entertain any of the compromises that will be necessary for peace as long as they believe that the international community will blindly back the Palestinian narrative and will force Israel to adopt these untenable positions. As part of the session, the General Assembly passed resolutions that fund the permanent propaganda bodies housed within the U.N. system—the Division for Palestinian Rights (DPR), the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People and the Special Information Programme on the Question of Palestine. We commend all of the countries that joined the United States and Israel in voting against these units which outrageously waste precious taxpayer resources to attack Israel. We take special note of the change in voting pattern by several European states by voting against DPR instead of abstaining. Further, Australia, Canada, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, and Nauru stood with the United States and Israel in consistently voting against every anti-Israel resolution. We thank these countries for standing up for their principles, even in the face of international pressure to vote the other way. Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon announced during his speech at the General Assembly session that Israel would soon propose its own resolution to recognize the Jewish refugees from Arab countries and Iran and acknowledge that the international community has ignored them for decades. B’nai B’rith strongly supports this resolution to right an historical injustice. B’nai B’rith has had a continued presence at the United Nations since its establishment, and continues to work to ensure the achievement of the protection of human rights and promotion of tolerance and peace. B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org Presses On Priorities Including Iran’s Global Terror and the Rise of Anti-Semitism (Washington, D.C., Sept. 26, 2019)--B’nai B’rith International leaders met with numerous heads of state and other top government officials on the sidelines of the opening of the 74th United Nations General Assembly session in New York this week. During these high-level meetings, B’nai B’rith President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin, along with other B’nai B’rith leaders and staff, discussed Iran’s malign policies, Palestinian terrorism and the rise in global anti-Semitism, among other issues. The B’nai B’rith delegation has met with leaders including those from Argentina, Egypt, Greece, India, Italy, Jordan, Paraguay, Poland, Spain, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates and the Vatican. During these meetings, the delegation discussed the singularly unfair treatment Israel often faces within different U.N. forums. B’nai B’rith has had an exceptionally active presence at the U.N. since the body’s founding, and is committed to holding the U.N. accountable to its essential founding values and aspirations. In addition to Kaufman and Mariaschin, the delegation included: Millie Magid, U.N. affairs chair; Sheila Mostyn, B’nai B’rith Center for Jewish Identity chair; Ira Bartfield, B’nai B’rith Center for Community Action chair; Andrew Borans, B’nai B’rith International Executive Board of Directors member and CEO of the Alpha Epsilon Pi Foundation; Stephen Stern, Executive Board of Directors member; Larry Magid, member of the International Center for Human Rights and Public Policy board; Stewart Cahn, member of the International Council of B’nai B’rith; François Moyse, member of the International Council of B’nai B’rith; Jared Hakimi, co-chair of B’nai B’rith Connect-New York; George Blank of New York; David Michaels, director of U.N. and intercommunal affairs; and Rebecca Rose, associate director, young leadership and development. Alpha Epsilon Pi also sent student leaders to join the B’nai B’rith delegation. Michaels and Program Officer for U.N. Affairs Oren Drori coordinated the meetings. B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org (Washington, D.C., Sept. 19, 2019)--B’nai B’rith International will meet with numerous world leaders during the course of next week, on the sidelines of the opening of the 74th United Nations General Assembly session. B’nai B’rith President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin, along with other B’nai B’rith leaders and staff, will discuss Iran’s backing of terrorist organizations, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the rise in global anti-Semitism, among other issues, in these meetings.
Israel often faces singularly unfair treatment at the U.N. and that will also be a focus of these meetings. B’nai B’rith has had an exceptionally active presence at the United Nations since the body’s founding. Engaging with heads of state and government is imperative to combating the anti-Israel animus that has become pervasive at the world body. B’nai B’rith is committed to holding the U.N. accountable to its essential founding values and aspirations. B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit www.bnaibrith.org  B’nai B’rith International has issued the following statement:
B’nai B’rith International opposes the Palestinian Authority’s campaign to have its flag flown outside of United Nations headquarters with the flags of U.N. member states. The Palestinians secured status as a U.N. non-member observer “state” in 2012, but are not actual members of the world body. This push comes as the Palestinian mission to the U.N. reportedly plans to submit a resolution calling for the flying of all “observer state” flags. An early draft of the resolution named both the Palestinians and the Vatican as non-member observer states that should have their flags flown. The draft resolution was apparently circulated without the Vatican’s authorization and the Holy See has asked the Palestinians to remove any mention of the Vatican from the draft. The flags outside the United Nations represent U.N. member states and the Palestinian territories do not as of yet comprise a state, owing to the Palestinians’ consistent refusal to reach a meaningful, negotiated two-state solution that includes recognition of the Jewish state. It would furthermore be inappropriate to fly the Palestinian flag as part of the Palestinian territories are illicitly ruled by the terrorist group Hamas, which is openly committed to the destruction of an existing U.N. member state, Israel. The Palestinians cannot be the only one of the world’s countless communities with nationalist aspirations to be unilaterally and superficially afforded the trappings of sovereignty. The United Nations has long joined in insisting that the Palestinian conflict with Israel be settled exclusively through direct talks and agreement with Israel. Unrequited political concessions to the Palestinians only further remove any incentive for Palestinian leaders to finally enable their constituents to live alongside Israelis in peace. |
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