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On August 31, B’nai B’rith Will Lead Communal Response to 20th Anniversary of Event Poisoned by Anti-Semitism
(Washington, D.C., May 3, 2021)—B’nai B’rith President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement: B’nai B’rith International, which brought the largest multinational Jewish delegations to the 2001 World Conference against Racism in Durban, South Africa, and its follow-up meetings in 2009, strongly commends the United States for having reportedly committed not to take part in a United Nations summit marking the event’s 20th anniversary in September. The 2001 conference was poisoned by manifestations of virulent anti-Zionism and open anti-Semitism. B’nai B’rith, which has led Jewish engagement at the U.N. since the world body’s founding in 1945, will spearhead the community’s response to the forthcoming summit with a major event on August 31. Over the past year, B’nai B’rith—which also organized a high-level event in New York upon Durban’s 10th anniversary in 2011—has worked to ensure continued awareness of Durban’s toxic legacy by speaking publicly on the topic at U.N. forums, publishing relevant commentary and privately reminding ambassadors from around the world that the fight against racism must not be undercut by crass politicization and outright bigotry. The Durban Declaration and Programme of Action singled out only one country—the world’s only Jewish state and the Middle East’s only pluralistic democracy, Israel—for obscene implied characterization as racist. The 2001 conference’s NGO Forum went even further, defaming Israel alone as a “racist apartheid state”—and urging discrimination against those engaging with it—while Jewish participants were subjected to shocking physical and verbal abuse. As a result, B’nai B’rith led a Jewish walkout at Durban—joined ultimately by key democratic countries. The subsequent 2009 Durban Review Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, was nonetheless addressed by Holocaust-denying Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. B’nai B’rith salutes the U.S. administration for taking a principled decision, like its predecessors, to deny legitimacy to a U.N. framework that purports to fight prejudice but is fundamentally marred by it. We urge all countries of goodwill to do similarly—and we will continue to insist that all forms of hate, including those targeting Jews, not be given a platform by foremost international institutions. 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., April 19, 2021)--In a live online discussion with B'nai B'rith today, Gilad Erdan, Israel's Ambassador to the United States and the United Nations, discussed pervasive anti-Israel bias within U.N. bodies, the threat posed by Iran, the enduring alliance between the U.S. and Israel and ways to combat global anti-Semitism. Erdan addressed these and other issues with B'nai B'rith CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin and Director of U.N. and Intercommunal Affairs David Michaels.
During the online program, held just after Israel's 73rd Independence Day, Erdan noted that his central role as ambassador is to strengthen bipartisan American support for Israel and build ties between it and different communities in the U.S., to “fight all forms of anti-Semitism,” to extend the “circle of peace” that was expanded with the recent Abraham Accords and to combat "the existential threat that is posed by Iran.” In discussing the endemic bias against Israel at the U.N., Erdan noted that many member states of the U.N. often do not vote based on their own strong bilateral relations with Israel but instead as part of regional or other blocs, creating outcomes that don’t reflect the actual situation of Israel in the world. “It doesn’t mean at all that we are isolated,” Erdan said. He emphasized that U.N. resolutions are often detached from the realities on the ground. Regarding the dangers to Israel posed by Iran, Erdan said, “For me it is outrageous to see that the U.N. doesn’t take this threat seriously. How is it possible that one member state promises to destroy another and there is no resolution against it?” Discussing his efforts to strengthen bipartisan support for Israel in the U.S., Erdan spoke of his trip to the American South, where he visited sites of importance to the civil rights movement and was accompanied by key African-American leaders. He pointed to Jewish and Black communities' shared experience of persecution and fighting bigotry. As the grandson of Holocaust survivors, Erdan said that combating anti-Semitism is an issue close to his heart. He spoke about two initiatives he is currently promoting at the U.N.: One to combat the dangerous phenomenon of Holocaust-denial and another to have U.N. bodies adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of anti-Semitism. The ambassador thanked B’nai B’rith for being a critical ally in the fight against anti-Semitism. "B'nai B'rith has been a cornerstone of Jewish advocacy efforts at the U.N." Erdan said. "In fact, I believe you were the first major Jewish organization at the U.N.'s founding—even before Israel was a state. So the longevity and the dedication with which B'nai B'rith engages with U.N. leaders, not only in New York but also in Paris, in Geneva and other places is remarkable... I think that your work in civil society is the perfect complement to my efforts here in the public sector." Erdan is Israel’s 18th ambassador to the U.N. and 19th ambassador to the U.S. He is the first person in 60 years to hold both positions. The other person to hold both positions simultaneously was Abba Eban. He previously served as a senior minister in the Israeli government and a member of the Knesset, Israel's parliament. He has served as minister of strategic affairs, minister of public security, minister of communications and minister of environmental protection. The program is available to watch on B’nai B’rith’s YouTube channel here. (Washington, D.C., April 15, 2021)--B’nai B’rith leaders on multiple continents have concluded weeks of virtual meetings with United Nations ambassadors in which they advocated for equal and just treatment of Israel by the world body.
Meetings with dozens of senior diplomats from around the world were held during the main yearly session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and the current Executive Board session of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which continues through April 21. The B’nai B’rith representatives met with delegates from Argentina, Bahrain, Brazil, Canada, Egypt, France, Germany, Japan, Russia, Senegal, Togo, the United Kingdom and Uruguay, among numerous other countries. We appreciate all those countries that continue to afford exceptional access to B’nai B’rith for constructive and candid discussions of geopolitical affairs, human rights and the core values and policy priorities of the Jewish community. B’nai B’rith—which pioneered Jewish engagement with the U.N. upon the body’s very founding in 1945, and which remains the only major Jewish organization with a dedicated Office of United Nations Affairs and representation at key U.N. forums worldwide—brings international Jewish activists to Geneva and Paris each year for vital advocacy. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization has renewed its dynamic outreach using modern technology. In their meetings, the B’nai B’rith leaders urged ambassadors, during the era of the Abraham Accords and normalization treaties between Israel and an increasing number of countries, to promote peace and coexistence by rejecting rote bias against Israel in U.N. settings. The ambassadors were urged to help expand the widening circle of partnership between the Jewish state and its Arab neighbors. At UNESCO, diplomats were particularly encouraged to continue recent progress in eschewing politicization of the body. At the UNHRC, beyond private bilateral meetings, B’nai B’rith delivered formal public interventions—defending Israel’s record of distributing COVID-19 vaccines, opposing the misuse of the International Criminal Court to stigmatize Israeli counterterrorism efforts, speaking out against both racism and anti-Semitism and raising awareness of the tainted legacy of a 2001 U.N. conference in Durban, South Africa. That event, the World Conference against Racism, itself notoriously became a scene of anti-Semitic outrages, with an outcome document singling out Israel alone for implied characterization as racist. B’nai B’rith mobilized the largest multinational Jewish delegation at the original Durban conference, as at the 2009 Durban Review Conference, and it will remain in the forefront of combating anti-Zionism when the U.N. plans to commemorate Durban’s 20th anniversary later this year. 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., March 24, 2021)--B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:
B’nai B’rith condemns the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for its passage of four anti-Israel resolutions—more than those targeting any other country in the world—as part of its rote, institutionalized discrimination against the world’s only Jewish state and the Middle East’s only democracy. Three of the resolutions fell under the council’s Item 7—the only permanent agenda item dedicated to excoriating a single country, Israel—while the fourth was moved to a different item in a ploy to attract more support. The resolutions’ subjects were the Syrian-claimed Golan Heights, Palestinian self-determination, Israeli settlement communities and “accountability” for purported rights violations. The latter resolution gratuitously singled out Israel—which has led the world in inoculating its residents of all backgrounds, and which under bilateral agreements is not responsible for Palestinian health care but has provided assistance nonetheless—for a call to “ensure non-discriminatory access to vaccines” for COVID-19. Over recent weeks, B’nai B’rith leaders around the world have conferred with numerous ambassadors and other diplomats at the council and made official interventions before the body. One such intervention, noting the forthcoming 20th anniversary of the U.N.’s World Conference against Racism in Durban, South Africa, asserted that “delegitimization, demonization and double standards do not amount to criticism, they amount to bigotry.” B’nai B’rith had brought the largest multinational Jewish delegation to the Durban conference, which became notorious for manifestations of anti-Semitism but remains celebrated by the UNHRC. No council member boasted a perfect record on the unjust anti-Israel resolutions. However, we commend those countries—including Cameroon, the Czech Republic, Malawi, the Marshall Islands and the United Kingdom—that mostly opposed the motions. Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Togo and Ukraine were also among those that opposed or abstained on key resolutions. We decry those countries, particularly likeminded states such as Argentina, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland and Uruguay, that failed to consistently stand up for principle and fairness at the council. B’nai B’rith will continue to lead Jewish communal engagement at the U.N., as it has since 1945. 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., Nov. 5, 2020)--B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:
B’nai B’rith condemns the decision made by a United Nations committee to pass a resolution referring to the Temple Mount – the holiest site in Judaism – only by its Islamic name. The vote comes amid a wave of seven anti-Israel resolutions passed by the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (known as the Fourth Committee) of the U.N. General Assembly. The General Assembly will vote on final versions of these seven resolutions, plus a number of other biased resolutions that harshly condemn Israel, later in its session. We thank Australia, Canada, Guatemala, Hungary, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru and the U.S. for voting with Israel against the egregious resolution that whitewashes Judaism’s ties to Jerusalem, the eternal capital of the Jewish people. It is disconcerting that many European countries voted in favor of a resolution with such a shameful clause. 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., Oct. 16, 2020)—B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:
B'nai B'rith condemns the United Nations Security Council's failure to extend a critical 13-year-old arms embargo on Iran. The U.N. arms embargo is set to expire Oct. 18, which would once again allow the rogue regime to purchase missiles and other weapons from, and provide them to, other malign actors. We call upon the Council to act immediately to reimpose the embargo on Iran – the world’s leading state-sponsor of terrorism – to prevent the further destabilization of the Middle East by Tehran and its proxies, particularly Hezbollah. 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., Sept. 21, 2020)—B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:
B'nai B'rith is pleased with the Trump administration's imposition of sanctions on Iran, which would punish any company or person that violates a conventional arms embargo on Iran. This action comes a month after the United Nations Security Council’s shameful failure to extend its own arms sanctions on Iran. The proposed U.S. action would work toward stopping Tehran – a rogue regime that continually threatens peace for the entirety of the Middle East and beyond – from becoming an even greater global security threat. (Washington, D.C., Aug. 14, 2020)--B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:
B’nai B’rith International condemns the United Nations Security Council’s failure to pass a common-sense resolution proposed by the United States that would extend a crucial arms embargo on Iran. The vote was: two yes votes; two no votes; 11 abstentions. In its failure to renew these sanctions, the U.N. Security Council has enabled a rogue regime that threatens the entirety of the Middle East – and others far beyond – to become an even more dangerous threat to global peace and security. The resolution would have kept in place the arms embargo imposed on Iran, which under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was set to expire in October. 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., Aug. 12, 2020)--Four previous Israeli United Nations ambassadors, representing almost 20 years of history, spoke today with B’nai B’rith International CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin on a virtual program about their time at the world body.
As the U.N. celebrates its 75th anniversary, Ambassadors Ron Prosor, Gabriela Shalev, Dan Gillerman and Yehuda Lancry recounted memories from their time as permanent representatives to the U.N. and its relations with Israel. Gillerman (2003-2008) recalled advice his mentor Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. diplomat, once shared following a diplomacy dispute. He reminded Gillerman that the U.N. office on 1st Avenue in New York City was nothing more than a glass building. “At the end of the day, it’s only as good as its tenants, and its tenants are the world we live in,” Gillerman said. The Durban Review Conference in 2001, which is viewed by many as the catalyst to a global renewal of anti-Semitism, made for one of Lancry’s greatest frustrations during his tenure at the U.N. “That was a big disappointment for those who felt we were advancing peace,” said Lancry, who served from 1999-2002. Durban was a really harsh setback. The conference was supposed to be on racism, but instead, it “focused on Israel. We felt frustrated.” Shalev (2008-2010) who entered the United Nations with a background in law and academia, found difficulty in transitioning to her new role as an ambassador. “Coming from academia, where we look at the truth, I found the double speech at the U.N. frustrating,” she said. “To represent Israel at the U.N. is hard labor. It’s day and night.” Prosor (2011-2015) was shocked by the “triple standards” Israel was held to at the United Nations. “One for democracies, one for dictatorships and one special standard just for Israel, which is unattainable,” he said. “I was shocked and I’m still shocked at the Europeans. It has nothing to do with what we do or we do not do. Do they go for Syria? No. Do they go for Yemen? No. Israel.” Each ambassador also offered positive thoughts and wishes for the incoming Israeli permanent representative to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan. Click here to watch the entire webinar. 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. |
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