In the News
The Jewish Journal included our call for all prejudiced members of the UNHRC’s anti-Israel Commission of Inquiry to be removed in its coverage of commission member Miloon Kothari’s anti-Semitic “Jewish lobby” comments.
United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Commission of Inquiry [COI] member Miloon Kothari wrote a letter apologizing for his “Jewish lobby” comments that were criticized as being antisemitic.
The letter, dated August 4, featured Kothari expressing “regret” and that he would like to “unequivocally apologize” for his use of the term during an interview with the anti-Israel site Mondoweiss. “My intention was to denounce the relentless and vitriolic personal attacks against the members of the Commission on social media and some publications, launched to delegitimize and undermine its work,” Kothari wrote. “It was completely wrong for me to describe social media as ‘being controlled largely by the Jewish lobby.’ This choice of words incorrect, inappropriate, and insensitive.”
Kothari also stated that his other comment in the Mondoweiss interview questioning Israel’s membership in the U.N. was meant to focus on Israel’s “non-compliance” with “UN decisions related to its obligations under international law.” “At no place in the interview did I question the existence of the State of Israel,” he wrote. “On the contrary, throughout the interview I have defended the existence of the State of Israel. This is fully consistent with the position of the Commission.” Kothari reiterated his apology toward the end of his letter. “I have always condemned discrimination in all its forms, including through antisemitism, and I do so again now.”
Jewish groups did not accept Kothari’s apology.
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B’nai Brith International tweeted that they are reiterating their call to remove “prejudiced members” from the commission. “Member of U.N. commission of inquiry – whose members all held shrill anti-Israel positions in advance – expresses regret for anti-Jewish comments while again claiming “personal attacks” on him. We reiterate what we told the @UN_HRC head: Prejudiced commissioners must be removed.”
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