(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. 
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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
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